A Promise Kept
by Nicole-Cherre
Summary: Nothing will ever come between Serina and those she loves, as you can see in this story. My first 'fic, and best according to some.
1. Injustices

A Promise Kept  
  
Standard disclaimer- you know the drill. Sailor Moon characters are not mine but this situation is. This is my first fanfic. Most of the names are US, but Raye and Amy, Serena and Reeny are spelled Japanese or my own way. This story takes place after the battle that freed Prisma and Avery from Rubeus' influence. Serina and Darien are still broken up and Rini knows who the scouts are. Rated Y7. Comments, suggestions, and praise appreciated!  
  
_____________Part One_____________ "Injustices"  
  
"Tell me, what's there left to believe in?"  
  
It was well past three o'clock in the morning when a very tired girl with twin yellow buns and pigtails hanging limply from them, managed to crawl through her second story bedroom window. A shadowy black cat with an odd golden crescent on it's forehead quickly hopped in after her. The girl sluggishly changed into her favorite pink bunny pajamas, running completely on automatic. She dropped her clothes on the floor without even acknowledging the whispered cry of outrage as her blue jean jacket landed on the cat. She was so exhausted she just climbed into bed with only a faint murmur of apology and was instantly asleep.  
  
"Oh, Serina, I know you've had a long battle but surely you could be more considerate of those of us under your clumsy feet?" Luna grumbled as she clambered up next to the sleeping superheroine of the moonlight and laid curled up beside her within the crook formed by the young girl's bent legs. She was dreadfully tired as well, that Dark Moon droid tonight seemed to appear just to aggravate the Scouts and deprive them of their much needed sleep, the cat complained silently, on the verge of sleep.  
  
Then her eyes popped open again in alarm. 'Perhaps that is their plan! With weary Scouts, they will more likely make a mistake and be more easily defeated!' The cat jumped to her feet. "Serina! These Dark Moon attacks in the middle of the night must be to drain our energy, to make you tired enough to make a careless mistake!" The girl didn't respond, only rolled over, barely missing cuffing the talking cat on the side of the head with her outflung arm. "Oh!" The cat gasped as she dodged. "Though I certainly don't see why they would need to waste the extra energy on YOU! You are naturally careless enough for all of us!" Again the girl just moaned, deaf to the insults, her head tossing from side to side in the throes of a nightmare.  
  
"Oh, Darien, please don't leave me. I promise it will be all right, we can defeat anything when we're together . . . I know it's all my fault, I'm so sorry . . . I drove you away . . . " Serina cried in her sleep, her tears fell unnoticed in sleep except by the black guardian cat that had stepped closer to her and licked them away. Luna sighed in sympathy for the child and laid closer beside her, purring reassuringly against her chest.  
  
__________________________  
  
'Oh no, not AGAIN!' Serina bolted upright, her two streamers of blonde hair whipping past her face. Something had kicked her under her stars and moon blanket. A familiar kick that had no reason to be there! "Rini! What are you doing in my bed?! AGAIN! I told you, you spoiled little spore, this is MY room and you DON'T come in without knocking and you DON'T climb into my bed with your kicking and snoring and mumbling without asking FIRST!" Serina hollered in a fierce whisper at the still sleepy little girl. She'd been through this numerous times, too many to count, and it was totally beyond annoying by now! But she had to keep her righteous scolding to a whisper; she'd also been through too many lectures with her own parents about yelling in the middle of the night.  
  
"But, Serina, I was cold, and scared, I couldn't sleep-" The small pink-haired child protested still rubbing sleep from her cinnamon brown eyes. Serina interrupted before the little fungus could continue with her list of justifications; she'd heard them all before and she wouldn't fall to this kid's tricks again.  
  
"I don't want to hear it, Rini, I told you the rules and you broke them! You know I need my sleep, now I'll never be able to wake up tomorrow for my Scout meeting!"  
  
"I don't think it'd be ME stopping you, Meatball head!"  
  
Serina glared at the little girl sitting beside her on the bed as if she belonged there. "You know I had a droid to fight late last night, Rini! I've only been asleep-" She glanced at her bunny clock, "-for an hour! I NEED TO SLEEP!" Serina flopped back down on her pillow, tearing the covers away from the obnoxious five-year-old.  
  
"You're so mean and- and *selfish*, Serina! *I hate you*!" Rini jumped off the bed and ran out the door. Serina sat up again, surprised, then sighed in regret as she laid back down. She'd seen Rini's eyes fill with tears as she ran out and felt bad. 'Maybe I should call her back.' She thought sleepily. "I didn't mean to be that mean, but she should have asked." She whispered almost ready to pull off the covers and go after the distraught child.  
  
"You should be used to her sneaking into bed with you by now, Serina. She does it every other night now, I thought you'd been getting closer to her. In the morning, you should apologize. Right now, PLEASE, get some sleep."  
  
"Yes, Luna . . ." Serina murmured, all ready asleep. It was WAY too early for thinking.  
  
__________________________  
  
The morning was beautiful, a perfect summer day. Enormous fluffy white clouds threatened to overwhelm the flood of azure blue sky with the promise of rain later, but right now the warmth of the sun was appreciated while it lasted.  
  
Luna squinted at the sunlight, standing up on the blue coverlet of the bed and stretching her back after a long night. Not all of it was sleep, though, the girls had been fighting another terribly annoying Dark Moon monster somewhere in the middle of the night. They had all fought well, even Sailor Moon, so the cat had allowed the tired Sailor Scout (and herself) to sleep in. The poor girl lay in twisted blue covers, her golden hair had come undone from her customary buns and was spilling over her pillow, glittering magically in the sunlight. Her brilliant blue eyes were squeezed shut, her usually calm face was pale and flinching from her nightmares. Luna sighed with regret, remembering how beautiful her princess could be when she was safely asleep and not prone to klutz attacks or wailing or stammering, stubborn, pig-headed, blushing, nervous, immature tongue fights with Rei or Rini. Or lamenting her break up with Darien.  
  
Luna sighed again in defeat. That was the Serina Tsukino that she dealt with everyday and someday she would be the perfect princess again. Just like she had a thousand years ago, she would grow into her royal grace. She HAD been getting better, growing up and taking her life seriously until her boyfriend, Darien, broke up with her a few weeks ago.  
  
Everything went pretty much downhill from there. The heart-broken and confused teenager still tried to act like her normal, bubbly self, hopeful and annoyingly naive, but she had lost her lively spark and glaring honesty when it came to her real feelings. She was almost always sad and depressed when she was alone in her room, crying nearly every night since Darien told her he didn't love her anymore. During the night, when she was not awake wishing impossible wishes upon the moon or weeping to the stars, she dreamed of her lost love, tossed by nightmares of his abandoning her, and torn between her following her heart and obeying his wishes. It was worse than when they'd lost him to the negaverse- this was completely voluntary. Maybe Rei's theory was right, Darien, or rather, Prince Endymion had only loved the old moon princess, Serenity, never Serina Tsukino.  
  
If only she could get over him and continue on with the progress she had been making while he was with her, he'd been an amazing influence on her. She'd studied in school, showed up on time for meetings, fought harder in battles- all to prove herself worthy of him, to better herself for her only love. Now she couldn't even get a decent night's sleep without terribly disturbing nightmares about him. Luna didn't want to admit it to the other Scouts although she probably should, but she was worried that their leader was taking this too hard, her spirit might never recover from the blow her eternal soul mate had dealt her. The one man she should have been able to trust-  
  
'Speaking of the Scouts, weren't we supposed to-' Luna glanced at the clock- and yowled! "Serina! Serina, WAKE UP! We're supposed to have a meeting this afternoon! You have ten minutes to get up and get ready or we'll be late!"  
  
"Just five more minutes, Luna. Just . . . five . . ." the sleeping girl murmured and threw her arm over her eyes. Luna growled in frustration then pounced on Serina's chest. The golden blonde bolted upright, dumping the black cat on the bed.  
  
"*Luna*! That WASN'T necessary!" She whined, sucking in a deep breath and rapidly blinking at the bright sunlight streaming in through the window.  
  
"Serina, you must get moving! We're supposed to meet the other girls in ten minutes at Rei's shrine." The cat reminded her hurriedly. Serina's eyes widened with dread as she threw off the covers and raced around her room, grabbing clothes, brushing her hair, and throwing socks and shoes on in record time.  
  
"Oh NO! I'm gonna be LATE! Rei's gonna *kill* me! Why didn't you wake me up earlier, Luna!" Luna shook her head at the pig-tailed whirlwind. This was what she had to deal with everyday. But she kept her cat mouth shut- this time she *was* slightly guilty for Serina's tardiness.  
  
"Oh, I'm soo *hungry*, but I'm gonna be *late*, but they can wait while I snag a donut or toast or something, I'm sure!" Serina smiled at her reasoning as she ran out the door, snatching her special brooch and a pair of earrings from her dresser on the way out.  
  
Luna followed, leaping down the stairs in time to see Serina head for the front door with a handful of cookies and a chocolate muffin in her mouth. Before an ominous dark-haired figure stepped in her way.  
  
"Serina." Ilene Tsukino face was pale with anger and her hands were clenched around an intimidating spatula.  
  
Serina froze in her tracks and looked up nervously. 'What'd I do this time?' Serina hid the cookies behind her back and crammed the rest of the muffin in her mouth, leaving chocolate crumbs on her face and the floor. "Yeah, Mom?"  
  
"Your cousin Rini woke me up crying this morning saying you hate her. I KNOW that can't be true but she claims you threw her out of your bed last night."  
  
"I didn't say I hated her, SHE said that! And, Mom, she kicks, and she doesn't ask first-" Serina began her whining, confidently standing her ground. This time she was in the right. It was HER room and HER bed.  
  
"Serina, she's a frightened little girl who misses her family and she hasn't made too many friends yet. You have to make exceptions and *try* to be nice to her. You'd be surprise how nice it feels if you treated her like a little sister. If you cared, she would look up to you, respect you like a big sister, and maybe even listen to *your* rules, and you'd be surprised how good it feels to be depended on like that." 'Ahhh! Guilt trip! Mom, you're so unfair!' Serina averted her eyes, realizing this suddenly wasn't a fight she could win.  
  
"*Mom*, you don't know her like I do, you haven't seen her when we're alone! She's a brat, and fights me worse than Sammy does!" Serina's desperate whine fell short when she was the look on her mother's face. 'Oh no! She's gonna explode! What'd I say?!'  
  
"Oh, Serina. I *do* see. But I don't understand. Everyone tells me you're the most caring person in the world, but all I ever see is how you fight with your brother and the insensitive way you completely neglect Rini. No matter how tough your own life may seem, it is *no* reason to take it out on your cousin. She's just a little girl. I'm going to give you this one warning then leave before I ground you. Spend quality time with Rini today. Take her to the park or the zoo or something. Be NICE to her." Serina slowly backed away from her mother, scared that the icy lecture wasn't over. When her mother's eyes flashed daggers, Serina turned tail and ran as fast as she could out the door, her black cat following at a cautious pace around the furious Mrs. Tsukino.  
  
"Oh, Luna, I must have REALLY screwed up! Mom looked like she was gonna KILL me!" 'Now I've gotta take the little spore to the park! Oh man! As if I didn't have better things to do, like read comics or play Sailor V at the arcade. Doesn't matter I spend everyday *protecting* the little fungus- but then again I *was* hard on her-' Serina suddenly glanced at her watch and choked. "Oh no!"  
  
__________________________  
  
Serina raced down the street, her hair streaming behind her like lethal gold whips, her eyes focused on the shrine steps she knew were just around the next corner. She turned her head a moment to yell at the cat running beside her.  
  
"Hurry up, Luna! Rei's gonna fry us both- oof!" Serina returned her attention to the sidewalk in front of her just in time to realize she was falling forward and threw her hands out in an attempt to stop herself from crashing to the ground. Her hands met air then twisted and scraped beneath her as Serina landed on her side with a grimace. She'd done it again, tripping over her own feet. She sat up and rubbed the elbow she'd hit on the sidewalk, then massaged her aching wrists. Luna sat imperiously before her with a look of extremely taxed patience.  
  
"Serina, I thought you'd at least learned to make it to Rei's temple without meeting the ground along the way."  
  
"That's not fair, Luna! Why don't you stop picking on me for once."  
  
"Really, Luna, pick on someone your own size." A familiar voice spoke up from in front of Serina. The klutzed girl looked up into the dark blue eyes of Darien Shields, her *ex*-boyfriend. She almost wasn't surprised to see him. They always had a way of running into each other, destiny or not. Right now, aside from looking extremely aloof for so early in the afternoon, he reached out a hand to help her to her feet. Serina noticed the flash of concern in his eyes- or was it pity? She couldn't tell anymore. Before she would have been overjoyed at the thought that perhaps he still loved her- but Darien banished the look from his face though his empty hand still politely, stiffly, emotionlessly waited for hers, and Serina's hope died like a spark in a blizzard.  
  
Serina's face was beet red from her embarrassment that rapidly expanded as she heard some other kids laughing at her from across the street. Frustrated tears welled in her eyes but she managed to choke them back. Ignoring Darien's offered hand, she struggled to her feet, straightening her dress and jean jacket with an air of indignant indifference. "No, thank you." Luna watched with surprise, by now the old Serina would have been wailing loud enough to be heard on the moon. Or at least blubbering in the arms of the young man before them.  
  
'Maybe she still has some pride left.' Actually, Serina's actions stretched further beyond pride and more into discourteous than Luna had ever seen her react with anyone before. 'Perhaps she's getting a backbone along with her self-esteem. Hopefully this signals the end of her Darien pining days?' Luna thought as she followed the silent girl past a shocked and equally silent Darien. Somehow, the thought that Serina might actually have gotten over Darien enough to dedicate herself to her real life rather than a dream world was- disheartening. As if something precious had been irrevocably lost. Luna glanced back at the dark-haired man still staring after them, she caught a glimpse of sorrow in his eyes before she followed her mistress around the corner.  
  
__________________________  
  
By the time Serina was half up the temple steps, she had completely rebuilt her enthusiastic spirit and called to the three girls she could see waiting for her at the top of the steps. "Sorry I'm late, guys! I was SOO tired and Luna just totally forgot to wake me up- she was crashed out as bad as me not fifteen minutes ago!" Serina laughed as she skipped up the stairs. The three girls, and an inconspicuous white cat, all looked as beat as she'd felt when she woke up this morning. Daylight had come way too early. Each girl was dressed in comfortable clothes, T-shirts and shorts, tank tops and skirts, with their respective hairstyles just a little looser today as if they'd been too lazy to attempt their everyday perfection.  
  
"Don't worry, Serina, we hardly expect you to be on time." Mina assured her sleepily. Serina was caught off guard by her friend's comment, her smile freezing on her face in surprise. 'Is Mina just tired or did she really mean that?' Serina thought worriedly.  
  
Ami saw the hurt look filtering into Serina's eyes and stifled a yawn before clarifying for Mina. "She means, we're all so tired from the fight late last night that we all were expecting to be late ourselves."  
  
"Speak for yourself." Rei appeared in her temple door, arms crossed and her foot tapping loudly with impatience. She, at least, was dressed in traditional shrine robes and looked half-way decent after a long night of fighting Dark Moon droids. Even the bruise she'd received across her face seemed to have completely healed.  
  
"It's not fair that you actually LIVE here, Rei." Serina quickly pointed out.  
  
"I don't think you should get off THAT easily. We've been waiting for-EVER, Meatball head! If we set a time for a meeting, as the leader, YOU should be the first there but you're always the last one to show up!"  
  
"Well we shouldn't have these meeting so EARLY in the morning." Serina retorted, copying Rei's gesture and angrily crossing her arms in front of her.  
  
"It's one o'clock in the AFTERNOON, Serina!" Her exasperation seethed, burning holes into Serina's defiant, flippant eyes. She threw her arms up in the air in defeat and turned on heel into the shrine, catching Serina's triumphant smile in the corner of her eye. 'You can't argue with that airhead!' She was so NOT in the mood to deal with Serina the Incompetent.  
  
Not only had she not gotten much sleep and was totally crabby this morning, but Chad was starting to get annoying, even talking about giving up his dream of a music career to stay and work at the temple. She didn't think she could handle that guy around all the time- he had a strange affect over her that made her self-conscious and nervous and she DIDN'T like it! Not to mention Grandpa's health was failing again and he refused to acknowledge her pleas (again) for him to relax and take it easy for a little. Why was everyone so dead set against listening to her?! She DID happen to know what was best for everyone, whether *they* believed it or not. It was so FRUSTRATING!  
  
"Girls, just calm down so we can get this meeting started." The rational voice of the black cat cut the agitated silence. A concurring agreement from the white cat followed. The rest of the girls filed inside the temple behind Rei, Luna and Artemis herding them in from behind.  
  
The five girls went straight to Rei's fire room, Rei locking the door behind her in case Chad happened to come home early from grocery shopping or Grandpa woke up from his nap and started getting nosy.  
  
"All right, Luna, what's the crisis now?" Lita asked, sitting herself down on a cushion on the floor. She tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and studied the guardian.  
  
"Well, we still don't know much about Rini except that her mother is in trouble in the future, in the city of Crystal Tokyo. She claims she was sent back in time to find the Silver Crystal that she believes is the only thing that can save her mother. Rubeus and the Dark Moon family are out to get her, whether they believe she all ready has the crystal or because they are afraid she will succeed. Have you girls heard anything else to add? Has she spoken of this to any of you?"  
  
Lita shook her head, as did Rei. Luna glanced at Serina, Mina, and Ami. Ami, at least, had become closer to the girl; Rini appeared to use her as a mentor. Mina had always been good with children, and Serina actually LIVED with Rini. But still each girl shook her head in denial.  
  
"I remember when we fought at the construction site against Rubeus and the four evil sisters, she had been talking to someone who called her princess." Serina suggested. It wasn't much, she wasn't even sure she'd heard it right. But if that little brat was a princess, then her mother was a queen. Serina giggled at the idea of a *queen* ruling over *her* hometown of Tokyo, but sobered when she remembered that *that* queen was in trouble and it *wasn't* funny. Actually, she had her own thoughts on that queen and *Princess* Rini. There were some clues, hints, and connections that had been adding up since she met the fungus. There was something about her . . . Serina had a secret about the child that she would never reveal to the outside world- They'd laugh at her for thinking something so outrageous, insane, impossible, and daydreamy-  
  
"Yes, there is that, but you haven't heard her mention anything else? In her sleep perhaps?" Luna continued prodding the meatballed blonde. Eyes around the room focused on Serina, she should have been the most help but they really didn't expect much.  
  
"No, Luna." Serina's eyes took on a sad, sympathetic cast, as she looked away from her guardian cat and her friends. "She just cries at night, whispering to her mother and asking her not to die. She promises who ever's in her dreams that she'll get the crystal and save everyone." 'She sounds like me. I'll save everyone, and that means you too, Rini.'  
  
The four other girls noticed the change in Serina's demeanor. Even though she fought with her 'cousin' constantly, the girls knew Serina was by far the most protective of the mysterious little girl. Especially since the construction site battle. "I'm so sorry I yelled at her last night." She whispered below their hearing. "I didn't even get to apologize."  
  
Luna continued, oblivious, and looked to the last two scouts. "Ami? Mina? Neither of you have spoken to her?"  
  
"Not since she found out that we are the Sailor Scouts. She almost seems afraid to get too close now." Ami stated. The girls reflected on that memory with mixed feelings. Two of the four evil sisters in the service of Rubeus of the Dark Moon, had turned to the side of good. Catsy and Birdie were visiting the whole group at the shrine when the other two sisters kidnapped them. They had gotten Rini to hide while the girls transformed and left to rescue their friends. Unbeknownst to them, Rini had been watching and followed. They had saved the two good sisters and purified the other two with Sailor Moon's Crystal, but little Rini had seen that Serina had the Silver Crystal she was searching for. No doubt she felt betrayed by them, especially by Serina, whom she now also knew to be Sailor Moon. All the scouts had promised to protect and help her, Serina most of all, and here they had been hiding the Crystal from her the entire time.  
  
"The poor dear. We promised to help, and now she can't trust us at all." Mina murmured, absently petting a dozing Artemis. She felt she could relate to the kid, she had never thought she could trust anyone besides herself and Artemis before she met Serina. She'd been so alone then.  
  
"Well, if anyone should feel bad, it's Serina. Rini is staying with HER, and she should know what's up." Rei reminded them, challenging Serina to take responsibility for once.  
  
"For your information, I *do* feel bad about Rini. Everything seems to go wrong for her, something I *am* familiar with. But it's not like we can just hand her the Silver Crystal and let her go on her merry way." Serina defended herself. At least what she said was a reasonable argument, more logical than Rei was prepared to counter immediately.  
  
"That's true, Rei." Ami spoke up. Rei was being awful harsh this morning, they all had things on their minds, including the Rini problem. If only it were so simple as to follow Rini back the future, save her mother and go back home. Ami truly did not know how to approach this problem. Every time she thought about it, it seemed so complicated with Rubeus after the child, timelines and paradoxes, and daily monster fighting making it appear more overwhelming than it probably was. She felt like it should be so easy, something should just click into place for her but she couldn't see it. It annoyed her to no end that she couldn't find a solution. She had failed; this was one problem she couldn't figure out for some reason.  
  
"Well, what about Darien? Rini spends most her time with him now. She's always been close to him." Lita suggested carefully. He might actually know something that she told him and not them. The other girls fell temporarily silent. They couldn't figure him out. He'd come to Serina's rescue every time she was in trouble and even when that Hypnotica droid had Sailor Moon caught in the eternal sleep spell, he'd been nearly panicked with worry and begging forgiveness for leaving her. He couldn't fool the Scouts into thinking he didn't still love her but then he still kept up his scherade of cold indifference.  
  
Either way, Darien was still a tender subject with Serina. The mention of his name invariably brought tears or shouts from the crushed teen, but this time, Serina didn't even seem to notice, still staring off into space with a vaguely guilty look on her face.  
  
"He doesn't know any more than we do. He's tried asking but she tells him nothing." Serina glanced down, tonelessly informing them what little she knew. She'd asked him about it, once but never again.  
  
'Thank goodness, no wailing! Maybe she's finally getting over him. I was never this bad over a guy.' Lita thought then noticed Serina's hands trembling as she played with a gold rose pendant on her necklace. 'Uh-oh, here it comes . . .'  
  
"You guys? Have you heard anything from Darien? Anything about- what's wrong? Between us?" She whispered hesitantly, still not shedding a tear. She all ready knew the answer but she still had to ask.  
  
"Ohh! Serina, GET OVER IT! It's been how many *weeks* so far that you're moping around and can't get the fact through that spaghetti brain of yours that HE DOESN'T WANT YOU ANYMORE! Just drop it!" Rei clenched her fists and growled in angry exasperation. 'She never gives up! Can't she see that he doesn't love her? Someone has to wake her up from her little dream world!' If Serina would just give up on him, he couldn't hurt her with his cruel games anymore!  
  
Now the waterworks started. Hurt and embarrassed, Serina began to wail- very loudly. The girls covered their ears and rolled their eyes before mentally picking Ami to comfort their crybaby princess. Besides silently voting, pairs of blue, green, and cat eyes each glared piercingly at Rei's violet.  
  
"Come on, Serina. It's all right, you don't have to wail like that, calm down." Ami placed an arm around her best friend's shoulders trying to act like she wasn't as fed up with the fourteen-year-old's behavior as the others were. "But you must admit, Serina, Rei does have a point. You've been brooding over this for long enough. We all know you still care for Darien, but you need to move on. If not for yourself, for us, the Sailor Scouts and your friends." Serina quieted, sniffing loudly and using her jacket sleeve to wipe away the twin waterfalls. She turned her watery blue eyes to Ami's. Ami was always right. But did she have to be right this time *too*?  
  
"Oh, Ami, you know I'd never let anything happen to you guys, even if meant giving up Darien." Serina's heartfelt reply caught the other's attention. She was serious? She wasn't just randomly wailing over Darien? "Maybe. I'd do anything for you guys. But, you really think I *have* to?" She whined shakily. She didn't want to give up hope, it was the last thing she'd ever voluntarily do but no one wanted her to be with the one man she loved, not even HIM.  
  
"Yeah, definitely. You know Darien has his own reasons for what he does, he's a guy and he can't change what guys do. Trust me!" Lita smiled encouragingly, she definitely knew what she was talking about when it came to being dumped. "Guys do have the tendency to fall out of love just as quickly as the fall in. Maybe he thinks you need to see other guys. Maybe the age difference finally got to him. Or maybe he met someone else-"  
  
"Thank you, LITA, I think I've got the idea now." Serina darkly glowered at her friend, the brunette's last words had struck the tightest cord in her soul, a fear and pain deeper than she'd ever let her best friends see. *Darien had found someone better to love*. The words were her mortal enemies, her worst nightmares. A prettier, older, smarter, more graceful girl- no, a beautiful *woman*. A gorgeous college student that had stolen his heart from her, someone who was so much better than her and more deserving of his warm kisses, tight hugs, and thoughtful smiles. That must have been what happened. She'd never seen her, but it was the only way Serina could explain Darien's abrupt break up.  
  
"Thank *God* that's over!" Rei exclaimed in an immensely annoyed and relieved voice. "Now we can get on with our meeting!" Rei received another unanimous glare from everyone in the room.  
  
But Luna and Artemis agreed with her: Rini and the Dark Moon problem had to be addressed. "What do you have in mind, Luna?" Ami asked, returning her attention to the black guardian cat.  
  
"Actually, I've no idea. All we can do now, is protect Rini until she makes the next move. Or until she decides she can still trust us." Luna sighed. They had been protecting Rini ever since she was discovered to be the victim of the Dark Moon family that had suddenly shown up. Thus far the closest one to her was Serina's ex-boyfriend and he was certainly the last one who should be associating with them. If it weren't for the special bond between the Moon Princess and her Prince of Earth, causing Darien to appear as Tuxedo Mask every time Sailor Moon was in danger, he would surely never see them again. Although, Luna had the feeling that he still deeply cared for Serina; the true love that survived within the prince and princess for a thousand years didn't just die overnight. She knew something important kept him away from her and it was probably, in some strange way, for the best. She just wished he'd explain it to the rest of them instead of hurting the poor innocent girl.  
  
"Um, I'm supposed to take Rini to the park this afternoon, IF it doesn't rain." Even as she spoke, a far distant echo of thunder resonated across the sky from outside. "I could try and talk to her then." Serina grumbled, at the threatening storm AND the fact that she didn't want to waste her time baby-sitting a girl whom she knew despised her though she'd saved the little pink-haired brat many times all ready. She was so stubborn and narrow-minded for a twerp her age, she reminded Serina of Darien, the old Darien who use to tease and torment her before they realized they were in love. And now the new Darien who persistently gave her the cold shoulder when she tried to apologize for whatever it was she'd done to drive him away. Serina sighed softly. She was drifting off the subject again.  
  
"Earth to Serina . . . Moon Princess, snap out of it . . ." Lita waved a hand in front of Serina's blank eyes, causing her to jump back, startled. "I said, it sounds like fun, do you want us to come too?" Lita repeated what she asked before but Serina shook her head.  
  
"No, I don't want to overwhelm her with all of us there, Mom says we just need some 'quality time'. I DO think we need to reach an understanding." Serina's serious voice was thoughtful as she considered how she could NICELY approach the bratty little fungus. She wished the kid could be a little nicer, more open, like she was, so they could get along. She did want to be friends and the poor thing was all alone and just wanted to help her mother.  
  
'Hold up, Serina, this is RINI you're talking about! The spore that hogs your bed and kicks and calls you Meatball head!' Serina yelled at herself. Then her better half took over the argument in Rini's favor. 'Yeah, but she's cute and CAN be sweet, though not often. And she needs your help and you promised to protect her. She's like the kid sister you don't have. Make the best of the time you have cause she won't be here forever.'  
  
"Good idea, Serina. It's good to see you finally taking some responsibility." Luna received a searing glare from the offended teenager. 'I was only trying to compliment her'. She thought as she shook her head in mild confusion.  
  
"You know she wouldn't be doing it if her mom hadn't made her, Luna," Mina and Lita laughed, joking about Serina actually VOLUNTARILY taking care of Rini the Intolerable. It was too funny to think of Serina being able to spend more than thirty seconds with the kid without a stick-out-the- tongue fight. They could never take anything seriously! But that's what made Serina fun to be around. "Rini the Intolerable and Serina the Incomp- I mean- Princess Serenity the beautiful, lovable, caring-" Mina giggled, trying to cover her slip up with enough compliments that Serina wouldn't notice the near fatal mistake.  
  
"I heard that, MINA. I think I'll leave now. This meeting is OVER." The dark tone of Serina's voice halted the snickering in the room as she stood up and angrily strode out, not even glancing back when the girls yelled their apologies. She even came as close to slamming the door as she could get without waking Grandpa.  
  
"Geez, we were only TEASING." Mina tried to explain. Three of the girls stood to follow her but Luna stopped them.  
  
"I'm sure she knows that and is just trying to be dramatic. But she has had a particularly grueling morning and night." She reminded them, even as Mina and Rei reached to smother yawns. Luna calmly advised them to leave her alone and let he cool off; she'd come back when she realized no one was going to follow her.  
  
"Yeah, our Meatball head needs to be by herself to think some more- then again, maybe we SHOULD stop her. She'll likely hurt herself trying to use that spaghetti brain!" Rei laughed loudly, confident that Serina could never have heard the joke having all ready left. The other three laughed, even Luna and Artemis chuckled.  
  
Just outside the closed door, Serina gasped, quickly covering her mouth before a cry of dismay could escape her lips. She HAD come back as Luna had predicted, when she realized no one was coming to apologize but she'd stopped just outside the door to listen when she'd heard them talking about her. Now she regretted coming back to apologize for running out. And none of the others had come to her defense! Just laughed right along with Rei at HER! 'So that's what they think of me, huh? An air-headed, incompetent, conceited, lazy, stupid klutz. What a great beloved leader, they talk about me behind my back, they don't appreciate me at all . . . They don't care!' Serina fled from the temple, flying down the stairs and back to her house, leaving her 'friends' and their comments far behind her.  
  
__________________________  
  
"But you've got to admit, Serina's gotten so much better since last year." Lita reminded them, stretching her long legs. They were completely unaware of their best friend's flash of torment just outside the door before she had run away.  
  
"She really was improving when she was involved with Darien. She seemed so happy, and when she's that happy, she can make everyone around her feel the same way." Ami smiled in memory. She'd often run into Serina after the lovesick girl had been swept off her feet by love and was walking on air. The feeling was infectious and Ami had laughed and been relaxed for the rest of the day. Presently she giggled at the pleasant thought.  
  
"Yeah, I'm so glad we have her. She's so sweet, and caring and considerate." Mina gratefully sighed, thinking about her crush, Andrew from the arcade, whom Serina had introduced her to and was supposed to try hooking her up with- even if he did have a girlfriend. "She can work miracles. Ya know we love her!"  
  
"Yeah, well, you're all getting sappy on me; it's not like we hurt her feelings- she'll get over it in two minutes, if it were a real tragedy she'd forget it in ten." Rei retorted, not willing to give up her stubborn stand against the weakling.  
  
"Oh, come on, Rei, we all know you're the most protective of her when it comes down to it. Admit it, you love her like a sister." Mina chided, smiling and throwing a pillow in the young priestess's direction.  
  
Rei caught the pillow and tossed it back. She almost denied it, just for pride but the Scouts knew her too well. "Yeah, maybe- so what? She still needs to be kicked in the head sometimes to knock her back into reality. If it weren't for us, she'd never have made it this far alive."  
  
"That's exactly right, Rei. We're supposed to PROTECT her from harm, not cause it." Ami spoke up again; her head was hung so her short blue hair hid her eyes that were suddenly stinging with tears. She felt guilty now for what they'd said, Serina shouldn't have been allowed to storm out like that. It wasn't her nature to be angry and her spirit was far too delicate to be prodded and insulted as they had- especially in her present state. And Luna was wrong, Serina hadn't returned yet . . .  
  
"Oh. Hmm, anyone else feeling totally bummed now?" Mina asked. She held her head in one hand, her legs crossed and petting a purring Artemis her lap with her other free hand.  
  
"I think I'll go check on Serina, then." Luna meowed farewells and took off.  
  
"Yeah, I think I'll go too, goodness knows it's Saturday and I have some volunteer work to do." Mina stood, moving Artemis from her lap to her shoulder and pulling her gold hair out from under him. The content white kitty barely seemed to notice and didn't miss a beat in his purring. "But I need to get home and change first!"  
  
"Always in Sailor V mode, huh? Gotta help everyone." Lita smiled when Mina nodded. Even now that she was busy being Sailor Venus, Mina still managed to fill the idolized part of the famous Sailor V and volunteer at the hospital and child day care centers. The girls sometimes helped out too. "Do you think you could use some help? I've got nothing to do."  
  
Mina nodded emphatically. "We can always use more hands! Do you want to come, Ami?"  
  
"Sorry, I have to study for my classes next year, I want to get as far ahead as possible before summer cram school starts and I've only these few months to do it." All three other girls sighed and rolled their eyes knowingly. Ami just stood there smiling, and left the room waving a quick good-bye.  
  
"Rei? You wanna come?" The two girls paused by the door on their way out, waiting for the raven haired girl's answer. She was staring into the fire that incessantly roared in the shrine's fireplace. She shook her head, never taking her eyes off the guiding blaze, and the girls quietly left her alone, searching for answers and soothing her guilty soul.  
  
'You do know I don't hate you, right, Serina? I'm sorry for how I treat you, it's just so EASY and it comes natural. You're the one person who can see through my defenses and that just makes me more defensive, you must know I'm not really serious! You just need to be beaten into shape sometimes, and the others are so worried about pampering their princess, they forget that you like to goof off most of the time like a normal teenager. When we need a leader, your not it, but when we need a friend you always are. I'm so confused! Should I try to push you into being a better person or let you grow into it- we may not have the time to wait! If you're hurt in an attack because you klutzed out, or started wailing or something stupid, I'll never forgive myself! You'll thank me later, trust me, Serina, it's for your own good. I hope you understand . . .'  
  
__________________________  
  
"Why does everyone hate me? They're always so mean to me!" Serina mumbled to herself, tears brimming in her eyes. She was still running, not towards home anymore but to the park. In the rose garden she would feel better, more comfortable and she could cry her eyes out without worrying about Sammy or Rini walking in on her.  
  
Serina ran past the rows of white, yellow, pink, and red roses, all blurred into smears of color by the tears in her eyes. She nearly stumbled once on a rock, but she recovered and quickly made it to her favorite spot in the garden.  
  
An ancient stone bench rested beneath a dark cherry tree, completely secluded by dense rose bushes, as if the gardener had forgotten it even existed and so never trimmed the bushes enough for people to see it there. Serina fell to the ground, her head hidden in her arms resting on the cold stone, and wept. Nothing was going right today, everyone was yelling at her. She was never good enough for anyone, she couldn't please EVERYONE no matter how hard she tried! 'Maybe they're right, I AM too lazy and air- headed . . . This is just too hard for me now. Rini hates me, I'm not getting any sleep with all these stupid Dark Moon attacks, I don't have Darien's strength or my friends' support anymore. I feel so all alone . . .'  
  
"The only way this could possibly get worse-" Serina felt something wet smack her face, then another drop hit her exposed leg. Serina looked up from her jacketed arms, rubbing away wet salt and impressed creases from the folds of the denim. She spotted several green leaves and red rose petals drifting easily on the breeze, then abruptly being ripped away by a gale. The wind had picked up incredibly, the sun was completely obscured by ominous thunderheads, leaving the entire park in a misty gray darkness. She'd completely forgotten about the storm! Serina felt another rain drop strike her face as she looked up through the dark green leaves of the cherry tree. The storm was here. And it was going to be a mean one, quickly over but nasty while it lasted.  
  
Serina slowly stood, crystal blue eyes wide, nearly petrified with fear, and her legs were cramped and asleep from her sitting so long unmoving. She cautiously backed away from her sanctuary, the rain suddenly coming down in torrents as quickly as she could draw her next breath. "Oh no . . ." She whispered in horror. Then screamed as a lightning bolt cracked across the heavens just above her, ripping the already torn sky asunder and deafening her with it's immediate and resounding crash, drowning her scream like a candle in a hurricane. 


	2. Can't Win Them All . . .

_____________Part Two_____________ "Can't Win Them All . . ."  
  
"Please do not go, I need you."  
  
Darien was running out of the park to escape the rain when he thought he heard a scream. A familiar sense flickered faintly through his mind as he realized the scream was Serina's and she was TERRIFIED. He instinctively turned in her direction, allowing his unusually weak sense to lead him to her. It wasn't as easy as it should have been, there was no tell-tale headache of her transformation. For whatever reason, Serina apparently wasn't in enough danger to transform into Sailor Moon. Perhaps the threat was not that great, but a threat all the same, and he HAD to protect her from anything. It was just harder to find her when she was a normal girl.  
  
Despite what he told her and the other girls, Darien was still madly in love with the young girl, would give his life at any moment so that her angel face might smile and never feel pain. He sensed she knew this, which was why she persisted in reconciliation, even though he perpetually told her 'never again'. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. A moment never went by that he wasn't lost in thought and daydreaming of her. Having fallen into her deep blue eyes, remembering the sweet flowery scent of her golden hair, tracing her soft cheek with his finger, kissing her soft lips, or holding her small form close to his as they danced or sat together.  
  
If it wasn't for his recurring nightmares, that devilish voice in his head threatening him with Serina's death EVERY SINGLE NIGHT if he stayed with her, he would have been the happiest man on earth, on the moon, in the whole UNIVERSE just to stay by her side. He would have married the girl of his dreams, his princess, his only love and they'd live forever as content as the stars.  
  
Alas, the nightmares, every night for WEEKS. So often and so real he had no doubt they were predictions of the future, a future so grim and horrible, he couldn't tell her or anyone. She didn't deserve to be mortally frightened like that, but neither did she deserve to have no reason at all to give up hope in him. It was too confusing and dangerous so this was all he could do. Leave her alone, FOREVER. And even as he left Serina so she could live, to protect her, he knew one part of his nightmare would still come true. He would be alone forever and surely die because of it.  
  
He held the hope, deep in his heart, hidden from his mind and the dreams, that somehow everything would work out and he would have his love again. His goddess of the moon, the love that had captured his heart of stone with her bright smiles, pealing silver laughter, and enchanting sapphire eyes. She was his light in the cold, lonely darkness his life had once been. Someday, he would hold her again, kiss her, make her laugh and be his forever. Somehow, it HAD to work out. He couldn't go on like this; he couldn't survive without her. __________________________  
  
Serina turned and bolted from the rose garden, wet gales whipped her soaked twin ponytails around, slapping her face multiple times, sticking to her cold, drenched jean jacket, her blue skirt and white blouse were plastered to her skin. She ran, harried by the wind at her back and the thunderclaps above. They seemed to be following her! Each time lightning flashed she screamed and ducked her head, causing her to slip several times on the rain-slicked grass. Serina finally stopped trying to see through the haze of pouring rain and just ran as fast as she could out of the park.  
  
Lightning flashed again, illuminating a wet green shadow in front of her. Serina didn't have time to stop, instead she screamed and threw her hands out in front of her, sobbing wildly and screaming again as the figure reached out to grab her. She fell into familiar arms, her screams quieted but her frightened crying wouldn't cease and she wept shudderingly into his chest, protectively covering her face from him and the storm. 'He doesn't care for you remember? Don't pretend like he does, don't force HIM to pretend! He pities you, just like your friends have no respect for you either! No one cares!'  
  
Darien held Serina close, hoping the tight embrace would calm her panicked sobbing. He hated seeing her so frightened and helpless, so like an innocent angel fallen from heaven. It wouldn't do much good, but he wrapped her as best he could in his green blazer, rubbing her arms to warm her. She shivered from the wet cold and trembled violently from fear of the storm. He held her a moment longer before carefully leading her away to a sheltered bus stop. He sat her down on the bench and held her silently. If she wasn't careful the great and powerful Sailor Moon would likely catch her death of cold.  
  
Darien winced inwardly at his own words. 'Let's not go there; not now.'  
  
They both remembered doing this before, however, never this traumatically. Before, when they had been together, the storms weren't as bad, some had certainly been worse than this on the outside but when they were together it wasn't at all awful. Darien had thought her fear of thunder was so adorable, she never failed to jump and cry out at the crashing and rumbling. She'd somehow manage to find her way into his arms each time, burying her face in his chest and squeezing him tightly. He would reassuringly stroke her hair, one arm around her small waist. He would swear to protect her from anything the storm could throw at him. She would question for how long he would guard her, all ready knowing the answer but wanting to hear him say it. "Always. Forever and a day after." Then he would take her chin in his hand and lift it up so he could look into her merrily frightened eyes, smiling, and kiss her. He had wondered if it was all an endearing ploy of hers, to weasel her way into his arms and steal a kiss. But she invariably shrieked at each crash of thunder, and even now . . .  
  
Serina was afraid to stop crying, if she stopped Darien would leave. She wasn't sure which scared her more; the storm or Darien letting her go. Once it had been so right, he would comfort her during these awful storms, holding her, and she'd giggle as he kissed her fears away each time. Now here she was again, locked in his embrace, being comforted but there were no kisses for this storm.  
  
'You can't pretend . . .' Finally, she did something she'd never previously thought she had the strength to do: she let go.  
  
Serina kept her hands covering her face, still crying huge tears that wouldn't stop no matter how hard she tried. It was no longer just the storm that had her crying, she wasn't quite sure what it was anymore: her friends back-stabbing betrayals, her boyfrie- EX-boyfriend so close yet still not wanting her, the pressure from her mother, and protecting Rini daily, her double life as Sailor Moon, and putting up with Luna's nagging, and her own inadequacy- Take your pick. This was a regular nervous breakdown!  
  
"I'm such a terrible person." Her voice was quiet and hoarse from sobbing, "I'm just not good enough for everybody." Darien stiffened in shock at her hopeless surrender. No, this wasn't right. This wasn't HIS Serina, she was never like this. She had the confidence of the world behind her, she was perfect in every way. What had happened to her to make her say something so ridiculous? Was it him? Did he say something extraordinarily stupid earlier? Her silent tears frightened him; she WAILED to let the world know she was hurting, she DIDN'T quietly weep.  
  
"No, Serina, you're not terrible at all." 'You're perfect.' "You're the kindest person I know." Darien assured her, trying to remove her hands from her red, tear-stained face. When he could finally look into her gorgeous blue eyes, he was startled to see them so red and puffy. She'd been crying long before the storm had started. 'What happened to you, my love?'  
  
"No, don't tease me. Everyone has agreed on this, I'm a stupid and, lazy and- irresponsible meatball head-" She shuddered again as another sob wracked her lithe frame and she covered her face with her hands again. Her gasps were choked and hyperventilated as she continued to try to regain control of her pain.  
  
"That's not true, Serina, you MUST to know that. This isn't the Serina I know. She didn't care what people thought of her as long as she could make others happy." He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her, give her the strength to find herself through these lies, the Serina he'd left a few weeks ago. But she shook his hand off, which not only disturbed him but hurt him as well. Just that slight movement ripped his soul in half. But he knew he deserved it and worse after how he'd treated her.  
  
"You're wrong, Darien, when you hear it often enough from everyone important to you, EVERYDAY, you start to believe it. I can't take care of Rini, I always screw up as Sailor Moon, they've convinced me they're right. Even you helped." Serina winced at her words. She hadn't meant to say that, she didn't mean it! 'No, this isn't the way it's suppose to go!'  
  
"Serina, I told you I had a reason. We can't do this anymore- We can't be together because- because it's for the best, for YOU." Darien hadn't been sure of what to say, he wanted to tell her so bad, her self- directed harshness worried him. This was serious, he had to speak with the Scouts or Luna. He had to know what was going on with the love of his life. It was more than their break up, it was so long ago that it couldn't still have this affect on her. Something must have happened to break her spirit, not just her heart, and a broken-spirited Serina was the worst thing he could imagine second only to a dead one.  
  
"How do YOU know what's best for me? You have no idea how this has been the worst time of my life without you!" She shouted, again her mouth took over, spitting out the words to describe how devastated she had been for the past few weeks. She instantly saw the pain she caused with her thoughtless words, and regretted dumping her out-of-control emotions on him, she didn't want him to hurt, just to understand her feelings and take her back.  
  
"It's for the best . . ." Was all Darien could whisper, looking away from her. Darien turned his betraying eyes away, he couldn't stand seeing the agony he had put her through but he couldn't give in, not if he wanted to her to live! She didn't know how many times he'd watched over her through her window at night, heard her cry out his name in her sleep, begging forgiveness, silently weeping and twisting in nightmares. Or unable to sleep and staring at the moon with utter hopelessness painted on her pale face. He knew how torn she was, almost as bad as he was over doing this to her.  
  
But he couldn't let her see the love in his eyes or know how much he wanted to be able to hold her again, safely. His arms ached to hold her, his eyes stung with tears, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss away her doubts and fears and proclaim to her and rest of the world how much he loved her. But he couldn't- not if he wanted her to survive, not with the chance of her death hanging over his head.  
  
"Yes, Darien, I'm sure it is. I hope she's beautiful, smart, and graceful. I hope she deserves you, but I also wonder if you are worthy her." 'Oh no! There you go again! Shooting off your mouth, you shouldn't have said that! He is worthy of the moon and stars, he could ask the sun to stop and she would pause at dawn or twilight for him. He rules your heart as easily as he rules his planet earth. He'll never forgive you, Serina! You blew it, Meatball head- Spaghetti for brains!' Serina stood abruptly, her tears renewed with her angry words and she ran off into the lessening rain.  
  
Darien was speechless and frozen to the bus bench. He was confused for a moment before he realized what she meant. 'You have no idea how beautiful, smart, and graceful she is, Serina. And I am NOT worthy of her.' Whoever had done this to her would pay. She was not the innocent, caring girl he fell in love with. If it were all his fault, which he now doubted, he was all ready serving his penance by staying away from her. But maybe- what if- he went back to her?  
  
Just until she recovered, the dreams were of their wedding day, it couldn't come true if they never married, right? Darien dared to hope before he resolved to go speak with Serina's friends about her behavior. Maybe they'd had a fight? He stood, glancing around him. Serina was out of sight, the sun was struggling to return to her duties, the clouds were being ripped away by high winds, and the rain had almost completely stopped, barely drizzling just enough for a rainbow to appear if he looked.  
  
He found one. It had to be a good omen.  
  
Then he heard Serina scream again.  
  
__________________________  
  
Serina ran into trouble, Sailor Scout trouble. A Dark Moon droid, in the guise of an evil, navy blue flower bush, was attacking the people gathered at a park bus stop. Serina ran behind a tree, away from pedestrian sight, and transformed. She thrust her arm in the air and was instantly shrouded in ribbons and feathers, changing her wet blue dress and white blouse into Sailor Moon's red, white, and blue sailor uniform. She ran out from hiding to the bus stop across the small field.  
  
"Hey, you! Thorn-face, leave those people alone! I stand for lo- love and justice! I am Sailor Moon, and on behalf of the moon, I'll punish you!" Moon went through her normal introductory speech, stumbling a little on the word 'love' wondering if it were really true if no one even loved HER. She ran to confront the Dark Moon threat- then slipped on the wet grass for a jarring landing on her butt. Luckily, all the creature's victims were passed out all ready leaving only the monster to laugh at her.  
  
"Ha! You think YOU can beat me? You can't even stand up! I will secure this crystal point for Rubeus easily if you're the best this past Tokyo could come up with." The monster turned to her, mocking her before attacking. There was a buzzing like swarming bees as it laughed at her, then launched dead black roses at her. "How about some black roses for you? They stand for death- YOURS!" The look of indignation fled from Sailor Moon's face as she sat petrified, wide eyes staring in disbelief; roses were supposed to save her, not kill her!  
  
Suddenly, black clad arms wrapped around her and she was instantly carried to safety by Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Oh, Tuxedo Mask-" Sailor Moon wasn't sure she should be grateful or embarrassed that he had to come and save after their fight. She almost wished the droid HAD hit her rather than look into Tuxedo Mask's hurt eyes.  
  
"Sailor Moon, you must call the others for back up." He emotionlessly advised, landing between the bus stop and monster. He flung his own red roses at the creature as Moon turned away and whipped out her communicator.  
  
"Right." She agreed uncertainly then pressed the 'All Call' button, relaying quick directions to the first girl who answered.  
  
"Be right there!" Mina responded, Moon could hear Lita groaning in the background as she clicked off the communicator and pocketed it again. She turned back to where Tux and the flower monster fought, equally matched, red roses versus black. A memory clicked in her mind, the last time she'd seen black roses . . . Thrown by her love with the aim of killing *her*-  
  
"Sailor Moon, use your scepter!" Tux managed to yell as he dodged another dead rose barrage, countering with his own shower of red.  
  
She blinked rapidly, banishing the terrible memories away to the farthest part of her mind. "Yeah, I know, I'm getting there!" Moon impatiently pulled out her scepter and prepared to aim. The monster was jumping all over the place, and kept Tuxedo Mask between it and her; she couldn't make a clear shot! "Tuxedo Mask! Get out of the-" Suddenly the monster leapt over her caped protector, and headed straight for her! Serina yelped and stumbled backwards, tripping over a hidden stone.  
  
She sat horrified a split second as the blue and gray creature hovered over her, pasting a shower of ash-soft and clinging petals to her body. She instinctively raised her scepter and quickly began her attack, barely hearing Tuxedo Mask's shout of warning. "Moon Scepter-" Her mouth was instantly smothered by the half-rotten petals and she suddenly couldn't breathe, suffocated by the monster's unexpected attack. She tried to fight the oppressive things, ripping them from her mouth and nose, ready to complete her attack before Jupiter interrupted her and she was distracted, being overwhelmed again by the energy-draining petals and losing the fight. She could feel herself falling into the blackness of unconsciousness even though she could no longer see anything with the petals covering her eyes. 'Oh no! The Scouts need my help, and stupid me, got caught . . . I don't have the energy . . .'  
  
"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!" A blue-white ball of lightning hurled through the air and exploded against the Dark Moon flunky in a brilliant cascade of sparks. The leafy demon lost several gray petals before it recovered and launched razor-edged thorns at the new threats.  
  
Sailor Jupiter prepared another bolt but was beaten to the punch by Sailor Mercury as her Ice Storm blasted the flying thorns, encasing them in ice and falling harmlessly to the ground. "Thanks, Mercury!" Jupiter and Venus smiled. Mercury nodded as she pulled out her mini-computer.  
  
Sailor Mars raced to Sailor Moon's side, she lay covered, unmoving, under a pile of dead rose petals and leaves the size of dinner plates. Mars used a carefully directed blast of fire to sear away the dangerous petals, Sailor Moon's semi-conscious blue eyes widened and she gasped for breath.  
  
"Cuttin' close ain't ya, Mars?" She accused between wheezes as she sat up and glanced around to study the new situation.  
  
"Someone blast that thing before it recovers." The blue haired scout suggested, twisting her right earring stud to activate her clear blue visor. "This creature is after another crystal point. It's weak spot is it's flowers. When all the petals have fallen off, it will be destroyed." She glanced up, scanning the creature further. She noted that it was all ready at half power. "A few more blasts should do it!"  
  
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!" Meteors of flame engulfed over the evil rose bush, followed by a rope of Venus' Love Chain.  
  
"You won't win that easily!" The dark creature stumbled under both attacks but stubbornly fought back with it's deadly roses and thorns. Sailor Moon still wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack and rolled to the ground pulling thorns from her arms, legs, and torso. She whined at their pricking and itching, she was very quickly smeared with red blood from the tiny stabs and cuts, nothing serious and they were healing as soon as she pulled the thorns free.  
  
"Mercury Bubbles Blast!" The area was suddenly shrouded in dense blue fog, hiding the Scouts from their enemy.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Use your scepter all ready!" Mars shouted impatiently as the five girls regrouped. They eached winced at the painful sight their leader made but said nothing. She was all ready recovering. The creature still roared curses and threats at the unseen Scouts, and began to fling attacks at them again as Mercury's fog began to clear.  
  
"I would have if you'd given me a chance!" Sailor Moon stood before Mars, sticking her tongue out before twirling to finish off the enemy. "MOON SCEPTER ELIMINATION!" The ray of light and crescent moons hit it's target and the ugly rose-bushy creature disintegrated to dust, leaving behind a dead gray gemstone. "Ha! Moon dusted!"  
  
Beside her, on the ground, Sailor Moon found a perfect red rose, and she vaguely heard Tuxedo Mask's words. "My roses stand for eternal and true love. Have faith in yourself, Sailor Moon." Moon triumphantly turned around, smiling elatedly. 'Maybe there's still a chance! Oh, Darien . . .' The sight that faced her melted her victorious feelings away, leaving her with a cold, empty dread in her stomach.  
  
The Scouts weren't happy. Venus and Mercury had picked up a couple cuts and bruises at some point during the fight, Jupiter was rubbing her shoulder where she hit it during an evasive roll. Mars just glared at her, irritatedly ripping away a tickling lock of black hair from her angry face. Sailor Moon ashamedly realized Mars was favoring her left foot, she hadn't even noticed when she'd twisted it. She hadn't been paying attention to her friends, hadn't protected them; as leader that was her job. To take care of her Scouts. Moon looked down in meek surrender, studying her red- booted feet. 'I've done it again. Screwed up. I wish Tuxedo Mask hadn't saved me- anything's better than this. I guess they're right, I'm not good enough.' Now she'd get it, like she always did. The yelling would start and she'd hear how stupid she was, and lazy, and inattentive. She couldn't stop them. 'But I don't want to deal with their complaints this time! Not again! I did the best I could!'  
  
"Sailor Moon, what TOOK you so long! You could have helped a little more than just the final blow, ya know!" Sailor Mars started. "You always wait until the last minute, as if to take credit for the whole battle, letting US do all the work for you! EVERY time! You never change, Sailor Moon. You need to grow up and fight like the WARRIOR you're supposed to be! If not for Tuxedo Mask and us, Tokyo would have been lost a year ago to the negaverse!" Mars was on a rampage, stomping up to Sailor Moon and blaming her for everything that went wrong. Moon paled at her accusations then flushed with her own resentment and embarrassment. The other three scouts weren't even saying anything, neither defending nor encouraging, just accepting Mars' words as truth!  
  
"Even without you, I'd be just fine, MARS. I can handle anything these nega-trash or- or Dark Moon creeps can throw at me! I was about to take that plant-thing out when you guys showed up!"  
  
"What, were you going to trip it? Yeah, right. All I saw was that you got yourself caught!" Mars sneered. "Lazy Sailor Moon thinks she can destroy the whole negaverse by herself. Without us, huh? You couldn't even stop Beryl as the Moon Princess without us! You couldn't do anything by yourself, Sailor Moon!"  
  
The anger and frustration that had been building up all day, and probably much longer, that she had managed to keep pent up inside to spare her friends her wrath and herself the pain it's release would undoubtedly cause, was suddenly given free reign. Tears of pain squeezed through her shut eyes, as she let Sailor Mars rant on, unheard anymore. The girls had rarely seen Sailor Moon as enraged as she was right now, maybe never had. Moon prayed in the back of her mind that they never would again. Her face was white with anger, her head felt burning hot though her clenched fists were ice cold. Without her emotional walls to hold in her fury, Moon opened her eyes, a harsh blue-silver lit by a fire of passionate ice. She prepared to do the most outrageous, impetuous, and probably best thing she COULD do to her 'friends'.  
  
NOW Mars would have her fight, in fact, now Mars would have everything.  
  
"You must be right, Mars, I can't do anything on my own. I just slow you guys down and you'd be better off without me. If you're so confident YOU can do this job better than me, Mars, then go ahead. I'm obviously not HALF as qualified as you!" The freezing tone of her voice sent chills down each of the girls' backs. Sailor Moon reached for her brooch in the center of her blue bow and tore it off, throwing it to the ground in front of a shocked Sailor Mars. Instantly she was shifted back to plain old Serina Tsukino. Her hard blue eyes still misted mirrors of cold ice, she turned her back on the Scouts and left them in a silence that frightened them more than any enemy they had faced before.  
  
Mars stared opened-mouthed after the blonde, realizing she'd gone too far this time. Then her gaze jerked down to study the dreadful thing lying in the wet grass before her; the pink brooch containing the most precious and powerful jewel in the universe. The Silver Crystal, and hidden within it's pure, enchanting glitter, Sailor Moon. 'Oh, Goddess! What have we done?' 


	3. Promises

_____________Part Three_____________ "Promises"  
  
"It can't be, it just can't be!"  
  
"Oh, NO! What have I done! I've never done anything so stupid! Stupid, Serina, just plain dumb!" Serina marched off, disappearing from the Scouts' sight behind trees now glistening like star-struck tears in the sunlight after the brief thunderstorm. Once gone from view she took off at a dead run, for once, not sliding over the slick grass. 'You said it yourself, Meatball head, it's probably for the best. They can fight better without needing to wait or worry about you, and Rei did always want to be the leader.' Serina continued rushing down the sidewalk, blinking away burning tears that threatened to shatter her vision. After all the crying she'd all ready done today, she would have thought she'd reach her limit after all this! 'Tokyo should be underwater by now.' She thought wryly, then stopped. Now she was starting to sound like Rei! She shivered in mock disgust then smiled sadly. 'It's for the best. Besides, if they really wanted you back, they would have come for you by now.'  
  
"And now you can have what you always wanted, Serina Tsukino!" Serina whispered excitedly to herself, forcefully boosting her attitude as she began walking home, her pace getting faster as her delight grew, blanketing her regret and pain in false enthusiasm. "Now you can be a NORMAL teenager!" She wiped away the last of her tears, unsure if this heavy feeling slipping from her shoulders was her giving up her previous life, or just her imagination.  
  
__________________________  
  
Serina skipped into her house, running into Luna on her way out.  
  
"Oh, Serina, I've been looking for you everywhere! I was worried after the way you stormed out of Rei's temple, I was afraid you'd accidentally fall down the temple steps and break your neck, or run out in the middle of the road a get yourself hit by a car, you looked so upset!"  
  
"Well, you don't have to worry about it anymore, Luna. Everything's fine now." Serina smiled sweetly, though Luna caught the thinly veiled remorse in her voice. 'Oh Goddess, what has she gotten herself into this time?' The black cat studied her ward as she hopped up the steps to her room. 'She doesn't seem to be too worried about it, at any rate.' Luna left the blonde Moon Princess and went to find the Scouts.  
  
'Oh no, I forgot about Luna! What am I gonna do when she finds out? She'll yell at me, she'll never forgive or let me be alone! I- I guess, I'll have to leave, or something. I can't go back to them, they don't want me anyway. Rini hates me, the Scouts hate me, EVERYONE yells at me, even Darien- well, I don't know about him anymore. He keeps teasing me, playing games with my heart . . . I- I guess this is good- bye, Luna . . . I can't believe I'm even THINKING this!'  
  
__________________________  
  
"Serina! Aunt Ilene says you have to take me out to the park!" Serina jumped at the annoying high-pitched voice issuing from an equaling annoying pink-haired little girl sitting on HER bed!  
  
"Rini! Who said you could come into MY room! You didn't touch anything, did you, you little spore?" Serina charged into the room, searching her stuff to be sure everything was as it should be, in the chaotic mess she'd left it in this morning. She let years of instinct take over, pretending everything was normal and all right. Little Rini didn't need to worry about her problems when she had plenty of her own.  
  
"Of course not, dummy. Aunt Ilene said you would take me to the park, and I was just waiting like a good little girl." Rini hopped off the bed and stuck her tongue out.  
  
"Ohh!" Serina growled, hands on her hips before she was abruptly whipped backward as Rini snatched her hand and dragged her out the door and down the stairs. "Hang on, you little rabbit! Wait a sec so I can at least-" Rini pulled harder, whining.  
  
"No, Aunt Ilene said you promised! You PROMISED!" She looked up at Serina with hurt cinnamon eyes, then leaned closer conspiratorially. "And Sailor Moon would never break a promise." Rini glanced up smiling; she knew she had the black-mailing edge here, but she started at the flash of pain in Serina's eyes. She frowned in concern, but the look disappeared, replaced by a soft understanding and she dismissed it.  
  
"You're right, Munchkin, let's go!" Serina wrapped Rini's little hand more comfortably in hers, then they raced out the front door, her mother smiling after them from the kitchen.  
  
__________________________  
  
"Hey, only Darien can call me that!" Rini called as they left the house. Serina glanced down at the kid, amused but painful memories were raised by listening to her.  
  
"I once said that too, Rini."  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?" Rini's mouth quirked uncertainly. She was kind of torn between pulling her hand from Serina's and letting it stay there. It felt comfortable but this was SERINA, the Meatball headed ditz. She wasn't supposed to be comfortable except at night when she was asleep and she could sneak into her bed.  
  
"I mean, I once said only Darien could call me Meatball head. He used to call me that when we hated each other, before we realized we were in love, but back then it drove me nuts. Soon others started calling me that too, especially Rei and I always yelled at everyone that only he could call me that. When Darien became my boyfriend he still called me Meatball head so I called him Muffin because he was so sweet and made me feel happy and energetic like my chocolate muffins in the morning. But now- when he says my name, it only hurts me." Serina's voice was soft and serious as she finished, almost as if forgetting she was talking to the little fungus. Rini frowned again as she watched the older girl's face. Was she opening up to her? Being nice? Telling her secrets?  
  
"Oh. Serina, do you know why Darien hates you so much?" Rini saw Serina wince but didn't take back her question. Darien hadn't told her much when she asked, maybe Serina would. Besides, maybe Serina would feel better if she talked about it. It was better than sleeping away the days, crying all the time, or starving herself. That was something Rini had noticed lately. Serina didn't eat as much as she used to inhale. She was starting to get worried.  
  
"I don't know, sweetheart. He wouldn't tell me."  
  
"What a jerk! He can't leave like that without an explanation! It's not nice!"  
  
"Rini, don't speak badly of Darien. He said it was for the best and I'll not have you question his judgment even if I agree with you. I won't lose hope in him and you can't either. Hope is a very valuable thing and it can see you through anything, even the worst break up. Don't you ever lose hope in the things you believe in, Rini."  
  
Rini's brow creased as she listened to Serina's wise words. She sounded like her mother and that frightened her. There was no possible way Serina- Sailor Moon was-  
  
No, she wouldn't lose hope in him, or Serina, or Sailor Moon. She had to believe in them to help her and see her through HER problems. "Okay, Serina. I won't, I believe in you, and Darien. He'll come back to you, I'm sure. Now," Her face brightened in a huge smile. "How about some ICE CREAM!"  
  
__________________________  
  
"Ya know, Rini, you don't have to be afraid of me." Serina licked her rocky road ice cream cone as they walked through the park and she glanced seriously down at the enigmatic little girl beside her. She watched her frown with proud eyes.  
  
"I'm not afraid of you, MEATBALL HEAD!" She declared with one hand on her hip and chocolate smeared all over her defiantly glaring face. Serina nearly toppled over laughing at the sight. She didn't mind at all when Rini called her that. She could be fairly sure she used the name affectionately after the little story Serina had told her behind the nickname. She pulled out a couple napkins from her pocket and knelt to wipe the sticky ice cream mess from her 'cousin's' face.  
  
"I'm sure you're not, little one, but- I just wanted you to know, you don't have to be frightened of talking to me- or the Scouts. About your mother, or your home, or even just the bullies here at school. Anything." Rini glanced away from Serina's coddling, the tears forming in her eyes quickly being held in check. Now Serina was reminding her of her own mother a LOT.  
  
"I can take care of myself. Why are you suddenly being so nice to me, Serina?" She turned a defensive face back to the older girl who was normally her enemy. All this change and nice stuff could still be some kind of trick even if it didn't feel like it and Serina seemed to be honest. Serina took the little girl's accusation in stride but Rini again noted the pang of sadness in Serina's soft smile.  
  
"I'm sorry I've been so mean to you, Rini. I promise I'll never do it again. You really are one of my friends, we just fight a lot too." Serina still knelt before Rini, both their ice creams forgotten and melting in the summer heat.  
  
"Like you and Rei?" 'Ouch! Direct hit, little princess.' Serina thought as she winced.  
  
"Yeah, like me and Rei. And just like my friends, you know I'll never let anything hurt you. I promised we'd help you, in the name of the moon, and that's a promise I will NEVER break. But only if you want us to; you've got to help me out too. We can't do it alone." Serina stood up, tossing the dirty napkins in the trash then recovering Rini's hand and glancing down at her, smiling. "Whenever you want to, you can tell me." They started walking, this time in silence as Serina followed the birds' songs on the wind and the wispy clouds above the park's dried green glades. If what she suspected about Rini were true, she NEEDED to help the little girl, and nothing could ever keep her from protecting and loving her- like a daughter.  
  
Rini contemplated the sudden change in Serina. This could be nice, the past Tokyo certainly didn't seem as scary with a friend nearby. And Rini DID feel like she wanted to talk to Serina, tell her everything just to get it over with. Serina had told her important personal stuff, and she should return the offer. She knew she'd feel better if she did. So what was holding her back?  
  
Then Rini remember the fact that had kept her away from the Sailor Scouts and had kept her from getting too close to Serina once she'd discovered her secret identity. The information she'd kept to herself when she remembered. It was too painful to say out loud, too scary to even think about. The danger this girl was in, so innocent and nice, much more like a normal ditzy, klutzy teenager than the moon's superheroine, fighter for love and justice, was what kept her from being nice. If she grew attached to her Serina, she'd lose her, just like she'd lost her mommy. But she could fight for Mommy, she was just asleep.  
  
History couldn't be changed and Rubeus hadn't been bluffing at the construction site battle although what he'd said seemed to have been forgotten by everyone else. Rini had remembered though, he was what reminded her of the dreadful fact she couldn't tell anyone or fix in any way. The one that drove her away from this new-found friend and protector, and why she had slept in Serina's bed every single night since she'd found out, just to make sure she was still there. She would never mention it again, she wouldn't remind the Scouts of what Rubeus had predicted.  
  
There was no Sailor Moon in the future.  
  
__________________________  
  
"Rei! This is all YOUR fault! If you hadn't been pushing Serina so hard-" Lita argued, practically screaming at the raven-haired hot head. The girls were gathered again at Rei's temple, supposedly to calm down but it didn't seem to be working at all.  
  
"If she didn't jump to conclusions like some kind of impetuous FROG-" Rei began in her defense before Mina interrupted.  
  
"Don't you EVER give up, Rei? Even when she's not here anymore, you still insult her." Mina sat in a chair with her arms wrapped disconsolately around her knees. Artemis hung silently around her shoulders; he'd all ready learned to keep his mouth shut while they discussed this topic. He'd been swatted on the head for trying to take charge and get them to apologize to their princess and leader. His ward, Mina, was so full of emotion she didn't know what to do with herself so she just sat, quivering with anger and misery and dread.  
  
Even Ami was silent, her eyes downcast with shame. It had been her suggestion that they head back to the temple in hopes that they could all calm down and reflect on Serina's unexpected reaction. It had been Rei's idea to let Serina be until she felt like coming back. Ami knew Rei was just too proud to actually go back and apologize first but then she understood that Rei's words had hurt Serina so deeply that she had taken such a drastic course of action. The subject was probably just too tender to be addressed immediately by either party.  
  
She'd tried calling Serina's house but her mother said she'd left with Rini and wasn't sure where she had gone. Serina also didn't answer her communicator, if she even had it with her. She was so stubborn, as bad Rei when it came to her pride. It was certainly foolish to leave her communicator at home and more foolish to give up the Silver Crystal and the fight for justice just because of what THEY thought. They shouldn't have let her leave, let her be alone. It wasn't right. It was their job to protect her . . . They were best friends, that was a promise of the heart, a vow that was more important now than any made in the Silver Millennium.  
  
Ami abruptly shook her head, blinking away sudden tears of guilt. No, Serina would have never wasted a moment to help a friend in need. She didn't need time to think about what happened, it only made it more real and irreparable. That painful memory would likely scar her delicate spirit! "Guys, we've got to go." Ami whispered. All eyes turned to her.  
  
"I thought we agreed that she needed time to be by herself." Rei reminded the blue-haired genius. She used to be so quiet and shy before Serina had met her. Now she argued with a quickly sparked fire.  
  
"No, I no longer believe that, and neither should you! Serina never let any of us go through something so hard by ourselves and yet here we are committing her to the same nightmare we all faced ourselves before we met her! All that loneliness we felt that she was NEVER meant to experience!" Ami stood angrily, and even Rei relented beneath her Mercurian glare.  
  
Artemis raised his head. It was about time they realized he was right! But he refused to open his mouth lest Mina smack him again.  
  
Ami noticed Rei's shoulders sag, defeat and regret replaced her fiery attitude, even a vague horror dawned in her eyes as she realized what Ami had said was true. All their loneliness, sadness, fear, and hopelessness, compounded and thrust upon a free-spirited girl who had never been prepared for such as they had growing up. She'd never be able to handle it! She'd die before living without her friends!  
  
"You're right, Ami. I'm so sorry, guys! I- I just, my mouth has a mind of it's own and it runs without me telling it to! I'm only trying to help her, make her be a better leader who can take care of herself. How can she forgive me? I didn't mean everything I said, half of it maybe-"  
  
"Rei . . ." Mina warned, standing up.  
  
"I know, we've got to find her. I've got to apologize." Rei whispered so the others couldn't hear her last word though they knew what it had been.  
  
"We've all got to apologize, we just stood there, without a word while you carried on and that's just as bad." Lita said, also standing and electrified with determination. They now had a new mission, to recovery their runaway princess!  
  
Just then Luna burst into the room, scaring all them out of their wits.  
  
"Luna, what's wrong!" Mina asked, quickly rushing over to the distraught cat and picking her up.  
  
"I was hoping you girls could tell, me, Mina." The scouts looked at each other, guilty but silent. And worried.  
  
"Why, what's wrong?" Rei was startled to attention, she squeezed Serina's brooch that now hung on a chain around her neck under her shirt. If Serina was in danger- she'd never forgive herself!  
  
"I'm not sure, actually. Serina came home not twenty minutes ago, looking all right, a little soggy from the storm, I assume, but with a completely artificial smile, as if she were hiding something that was bothering her. But she acted like everything was normal. I guess I shouldn't worry so, what with her mood swings, it was probably nothing."  
  
The girls grimaced with further remorse. 'Probably nothing'. "Actually, she's been having a REALLY bad day, Luna." Lita started off gently.  
  
"Don't I know it." Luna sighed. "She was even yelled at particularly harshly by her mother this morning about her kicking Rini out of her bed again last night. And then Rini exploding at her like that last night- Serina felt so bad about it." The girls winced again as if being hit by rocks.  
  
"Luna, we're sorry, you're not gonna like this-" Lita picked up again, hoping the overprotective cat wouldn't jump out of her skin when she heard what had happened.  
  
Rei looked away from the group, darkness covering her in a cloak, her black hair draped over her face. She knew how to hide her tears with a shield of angry emotions. No one ever wanted to get close enough to notice her pain. 'Except Serina, it never worked for her-' "I'm surprised the crybaby didn't tell you-"  
  
"Tell who what?" A masculine voice suddenly entered the conversation. Darien had appeared as if from no where.  
  
"Hey, how did YOU get in here, Darien! Who let you in- Did Chad let you in? I'll kill him, I said this was a PRIVATE meeting!" Rei exploded, she needed to vent her feelings on someone, Darien or Chad, it didn't matter, she didn't like feeling guilty and here Darien waltzes in just to add to her grief!  
  
"I let myself in, Rei, I have my ways. Besides, you were talking about Serina and that's what I came to find out about." Darien stood by the closed door of the fire room they all stood agitatedly in. He had his arms nonchalantly crossed, waiting for answers like a prince. 'Ha! He USED to be a prince, now he the KING of jerks!'  
  
"What's with the sudden interest, Darien? Looking to find more dirt to insult your ex-girlfriend with? Don't you think you've hurt her enough?" Rei asked coldly. Her best friend lamented for weeks over this guy, so aloof and distant, and she still pined for him. He was disgusting, still trying to be their friend as if nothing happened, as if he hadn't broken Serina's heart! She didn't care about the feelings she thought she saw when he'd come to Sailor Moon's rescue at the death-scare at the Hypnotica battle. If he'd been there in the first place, she might not have fallen asleep to begin with! She could have DIED!  
  
Darien hid his reaction well, her remark stung, he would never purposely hurt Serina, they should know that by now. But only Serina could have seen the pain the priestess's insult and the Scouts' mistrust caused in his eyes. "No, of course not, Rei. I'm concerned. I saw her earlier today. She wasn't- herself." He would put up with Rei for now, just because he needed answers. He kept up his emotionless expression and waited for a reply or reaction.  
  
There was one. All the girls started, even Luna and Artemis glanced up expectantly. 'They've noticed too. Or they know why.'  
  
Rei sighed and sat before her fire, carelessly waving everyone else to their seats. "I'm sure you've got a part in this somewhere, Darien, but then what we all ready know about you is probably enough explanation by itself. So before we all over-react let's try to get this whole story in order." It was the first SENSIBLE thing the mean-tempered priestess had said all day.  
  
__________________________  
  
Serina and Rini headed over to a distant corner of the park, a less traveled tree-lined path surrounded by greenery, ornamental shrubs, and roses of various colors. The two walked along, oblivious to all else but the fragrance of the red roses and the dappling sunlight of the old asphalt path.  
  
"This is so cool, Serina! Thanks for taking me! I've never had so much fun just by walking through the park!" She ran and skipped ahead of her blonde caretaker. Serina laughed and leapt to join her.  
  
"No prob, Rini." Serina followed the child to a row of roses. Rini carefully picked a handful of roses of various colors. Serina plopped down on the grass to watch her. Rini turned to the meatball headed blonde and handed her the roses, sitting carefully next to her.  
  
"See, my daddy gives my mommy roses every day. A white one in the morning because he says she's so innocent and pure and hopeful, a red one in the afternoon for their true love and a peach one for my baby brother Travis- he's not born yet." Rini spoke without looking up at Serina, if she looked, she might stop talking. Serina was caught by surprise by the stream of information but remained silent. 'She trusts me! She's finally opening up to me- this isn't so bad being nice to my little one.' She inhaled the scents of the white and red roses. The last was a pale gold with pink highlights- it made her think of the sunrise, just as the other two invariably reminded her of Darien's roses.  
  
Rini continued telling her story, tears tickling her eyes as she remembered the family she left behind, the trouble her mother was in and her brother Travis too. "Daddy gives me and Irene pink roses because we're a mix of the red and white- because they love us." Rini kept the two pink roses close to herself. Her sister- Irene- she missed her so much . . .  
  
"Who's Irene?" Serina asked softly, afraid to scare the child back into stubborn silence. Rini looked so lonely and vulnerable. A child her age shouldn't have to keep secrets.  
  
"Irene's my twin sister, I'm older by five minutes- that's why I'm Serenity, Princess of the Moon and she's Imbrium the Princess of the Earth. We're identical but she takes after Daddy like I take after Mommy. I've got Mommy's moon powers just like she's got Daddy's earth powers. We can both use them but she can all ready make roses out of thin air and I can't yet, but I can use my moonbeam and SHE can't." Rini continued softly, gazing intently at the carnation pink rosebuds as if she could see her sister in them. She heard Serina gasp softly beside her and wondered if she'd revealed too much.  
  
Serina was just noticing the rose's pink color was very close to the flamingo pink of Rini's hair when she heard the child. She abruptly focused on what Rini had just said, her heart freezing for an icy, panicked moment. Serina suddenly had confirmation- her thoughts, her dreams, her most far-fetching wishes, her suspicions on Rini's true identity- they were real. Rini really was-  
  
The small princess suddenly glanced up, smiling weakly as she plucked two more roses from the bush over her head, never in fear of the thorns Serina noted absently. A pure gold one and a dark red, almost violet rose were now clasped in her tiny hand. She continued her ramblings when she saw Serina smiling down at her with a look of contentment and hope. "And then Uncle Tranq always gets a yellow rose, cause he's as sunny and cheerful as Mommy, and Auntie Rose always makes her own roses, right out of the air like Daddy. Pretty purple ones!" She smiled as she handed these roses to Serina as well, finally letting her eyes lift up to meet the older girl's blue ones. She was pleased with the love she saw there.  
  
"Oh, Rini, thank you for telling me all this. I promise we'll help you and your family. It sounds like they all love you very much and you obviously love them too. Come here," Serina set the roses aside and held her arms out for the little girl, her little princess. Rini hesitated a half second before launching herself into Serina's embrace, crying softly. Serina held her, stroking her hair gently and cooing.  
  
"It's all right, Rini, I promise everything will work out. Shh, sweetheart." Rini calmed under Serina's soothing caress and she snuggled deeper, almost forgetting where she was for a moment.  
  
"Thank you, Rena. I really don't hate you- I'm sorry what I said last night." Serina hugged Rini tighter a moment before releasing her.  
  
"I'm sorry I was so harsh, little one. I was just tired and took it out on you. Luna's got some nasty claws so I can't yell at her anymore." She smiled tenderly. Rini stood, smiling blissfully and took off again, laughing. Serina picked up her roses and went off after the child.  
  
"Come on, Rena! This is much more fun than I thought it was gonna be!" Rini called from ahead. Serina ran to catch up. She began talking, feeling it was her turn to share some family memories with the Small Lady.  
  
"My parents used to take me walking through here all the time. I can remember back even before Sammy was born, running around here, chasing frisbees and wrestling with Dad. I hope to do the same with my kids someday. But I suppose you're close enough for now!" Serina smiled secretively again and tagged the little girl on the head between her pink rabbit buns before darting off. "You're it!"  
  
"No fair! You legs are longer than mine! I can't run as fast as you!" Rini whined while she chased Serina up the path. When they reached a small garden shed, Serina hid on one side, thinking she had fooled her when Rini suddenly popped up beside her. Serina jumped in fright and took off again before Rini could tag her.  
  
Rini smiled mischievously. 'Time to make this game more fair.' "Luna Ball, tag!" Rini's floating black ball suddenly came to life, chasing Serina around the shed as she wailed.  
  
"Not fair, Rini!" Serina called and dropped to her knees just behind the smiling child. Luna Ball stopped just behind her head and Rini reached out to tag Serina.  
  
"Gotcha." She said, grinning impishly.  
  
Serina looked away shaking her head. Beat by a five-year-old. Suddenly something caught her eye. A shimmering of air on the other side of the path, directly across from them. Serina instantly sensed something evil and stood, pushing Rini safely behind her. A Dark Moon droid appeared, this time in the shape of something more akin to a fifteen-foot dragon!  
  
As Serina stared at her opponent with a familiarity of weeks of fighting the Dark Moon, her heart stopped as she suddenly remembered she no longer had her brooch. She couldn't transform! 'But that definitely won't keep me from protecting her!' She dropped her forgotten roses and held Rini's arm in a viselike grip behind her, as the droid spoke.  
  
"Give me the child! Sssurrender the rabbit or forfeit your life, puny human!" The dragon spat out in a hissing voice.  
  
"You won't get this girl without a fight! I am Serina Tsukino and I will protect this child with my last breath!" Serina stood defiantly, she could feel Rini trembling behind her.  
  
"Ssso be it! DIE!" The dragon creature let loose a ball of blue fire. Serina hardly had time to react before the thing hit her. She kept herself between Rini and the dangerous threat as she tried to dodge but it still slammed into her shoulder. Searing pain lanced through her arm, and straight to her head. Serina grimaced and bit down on her bottom lip to smother her cry- Rini would be scared if she heard her scream.  
  
They hit the ground and Serina rolled, gathering the child in her arms as she managed to get to her knees. Serina realized her mistake as soon as she was upright again. She twisted her head as Rini squeezed her arms around her neck, shrieking; her back was to the monster and Rini saw the next blast coming.  
  
Serina managed to jump to her feet only to be knocked down by the second fireball hitting her square in the back. She was flung forward, landing on her side, nearly unconscious from the pain of her burned shoulder, the impact, and the last direct hit. But Rini was still safe. That was all that mattered- THAT, and keeping her safe, Serina dazedly thought. She'd never realized how much her Sailor form had protected her from such blasts and she really regretted not being able to transform now. She might want to a normal teenager but it was also the only way to keep Rini safe as long as she was with her.  
  
"Transform, Serina, you're supposed to transform!" Rini whispered wildly, scared and confused. 'Why isn't she transforming?! She's gonna get herself killed!' Rini suddenly caught herself as she remembered the future and Serina dying. 'Please, not for me! Not *now*!'  
  
Serina painfully got her feet and just gave Rini a sad smile as she set the girl down behind her again. Once again she turned to face the dragon, eyes desperately searching for a weapon. All Serina could see was the shed to her right but she knew it was empty. It hadn't been used for at least ten years, not since Sammy was born.  
  
"Ssstill fighting, urchin? You should be roasted by now!"  
  
"Yeah, funny thing about moon royalty- we don't die easily . . ." The dragon hissed again and took aim. All Serina could do was keep herself between it and Rini. Rini COULDN'T get hurt! She promised she'd protect her! And- and Rini was her- Serina grabbed the little girl, dodging and rolling, evading several rounds of fireballs while keeping Rini shielded behind her. Several shots exploded the cement around them, sending shards into the air to cut and imbed themselves in her arms and legs. Rini yelped only once when one grazed her little hand clamped around Serina's shoulder.  
  
Finally, a third blast caught Serina full in the chest. She was practically beyond pain now; she barely felt anything of the fiery attack beyond the weak feeling of her knees giving out beneath her. Rini still cowered behind her, whimpering as if she could feel Serina's pain.  
  
"Run when I say, Rini." The older girl whispered over her shoulder, her quick-thinking mind had finally come up with a desperate plan, one that might give the kid a chance if she took it. But Rini had to be smart and run for dear life. She could trust her to do that. 'Maybe the Scouts will find her before this thing does. I wish I'd brought my communicator, I was such a ditz to leave it at home like that!'  
  
Serina still faced the dragon-droid, swaying slightly and weak beyond fighting. She managed to push herself to standing but she was quickly nearing the end of her strength. Her chest ached to the point she couldn't breathe, her bruised back kept her movements short and jerky, and she had no feeling left in her right arm. 'Mom's going to kill me when she sees my jacket, and this will never come out of my white blouse!' Then Serina winced, 'I must be losing it if I even think I can get out of this one ALIVE!' The creature ahead of her just stood there, measuring it's competition and slowly flapping it's wings intimidatingly.  
  
Serina was jerked back to reality when she felt Rini start to edge away from behind her, unnoticed by the red and green dragon. Serina had to distract the creature while the girl she vowed to defend tried to get away.  
  
Plain old Serina Tsukino, a normal, klutzy, energetic blonde girl, suddenly ran at the dragon, full speed across the pavement, her scream nearly unintelligible through the pain in her voice. "RUN!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rini take off behind her, headed for the shed, as Serina ran headlong into the scaly dragon. The shocked creature was so surprised that it only instinctively reacted to the physical attack by backhanding Serina away from it. She sailed through the air, barely conscious.  
  
When Serina hit the ground, her twin hair buns were ripped out and picked up stray dirt and leaves, a bloody cut appeared where she bumped the side of her head, her right cheek was red and black with bruises and scrapes, and was quickly swelling. Her hands had unconsciously reached before her to stop her fall but they only managed to be crushed and chafed beneath her. She could only hear as something snapped, a wrist, a finger, maybe her arm had broken. She fell like an old rag doll tossed aside in the grass and dirt and forgotten. Serina never felt any pain from the new injuries, her last thought was the hope that Rini had escaped before the suffocating blackness swallowed her whole. 


	4. Anything For You . . .

_____________Part Four_____________ "Anything For You . . ."  
  
"I've seen the future and you're not in it!"  
  
The four remaining girls, supposedly the fighters of injustice a.k.a. Sailor Scouts, were scattered in Rei's fire reading room, uncomfortably waiting in guilty silence under the two burning gazes of Darien Shields and Serina's guardian cat, Luna. They had to confess their own crime against their best friend and their judge and jury looked more like their executioners the longer they paused, searching for words.  
  
"All right, girls, this appears to be serious. Say SOMETHING." Darien impatiently stood in the middle of the room, his agitation and disquiet beginning to show as he fidgeted with worry about the girls' hesitation. Something awful must have happened- NONE of them were talking!  
  
"I suggest we start at the beginning. None of us are going to like hearing it, but I believe we are all guilty to some extent and it will help us to understand what exactly Serina is going through." Ami logically suggested. She could see Darien was anxious, she was too, but she also knew they could only act rationally if they had all the facts with which to work with.  
  
Mina rose from her huddled position and handed Luna over to Darien. SHE didn't want to be caught holding the clawed feline when she heard Serina had quit the Scouts. "Luna, tell us what happened this morning. You said something about Mrs. Tsukino scolding at Serina and problems with Rini?"  
  
"Well, yes. Her mother was upset with her treatment of Rini. Serina had woken up earlier this morning, a little after our battle, to find Rini sleeping in her bed again, kicking as always, and had thrown her out. She did feel terrible about it but I told her to get some sleep rather than apologize immediately. Later, we were running late for the Scout meeting this morning, as usual, when Serina's mother stopped her and yelled at her for yelling at Rini. She said a few choice words about Serina's unfeeling attitude towards the child and her general irresponsibility. She looked quite distraught. She made Serina promise to talk to Rini and take her out somewhere before finally letting her leave."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I remember Serina complaining about needing to take Rini out. I think the kid's starting to grow on her the way she was so concerned, more than just because she got in trouble for it." Lita recalled. Each girl nodded in turn, even Darien seemed to be absorbing the tidbits of information as if gathering pieces of a puzzle.  
  
"When I called Serina's house, her mother said she was all ready out with Rini but she didn't know where." Ami added. Luna frowned as much as a cat could and continued.  
  
"We were all ready late, so from there, we rushed to Rei's temple. Serina managed to keep her number of falls to a record of one." Luna smiled impishly, then her look changed to pride as she remembered that Serina had recovered gracefully without any whining or tears even with Darien present. She had failed to mention that he'd been there even as his grip on the cat tightened slightly in surprised guilt at his own recollection of that same moment. "At the temple it was business as usual until you four went a little far with you teasing. I guess Serina was just having a bad morning and couldn't handle being badgered about Rini or Darien." She pointedly glared golden brown eyes at Mina, Lita, and Rei briefly including Darien before returning to the girls. "It was after YOUR remarks about her INCOMPETENCE and her not being able to take care of Rini properly that she stormed off."  
  
"Yeah, I guess we were pushing it a little. I just wanted her to finally get over it and move on. Forgive me, Darien, but she couldn't pine over you FOREVER." Lita conceded, twisting the curly brown end of her ponytail in embarrassment.  
  
"After reprimanding us, Luna, you went after her." Ami prodded. As she had predicted, Serina's story was getting worse with each passing moment. This alone was certainly enough to make Serina more impetuous and distressed than normal. To add to all this, Darien still hadn't revealed his hand in the situation and he could bring about Serina's most extreme emotions with a mere glance. She hoped where ever she was, Serina was having fun being a normal teenager.  
  
"Yes, I ran home, expecting her to be in her room wailing but apparently she'd never come home. The storm began moments later I was sure something was wrong what with her dreadful fear of thunder. She SHOULD have been home by then but when she did finally show up she was almost normal." Luna frowned at the strangeness of the situation before Darien interrupted her, his own deep voice heavy with shame.  
  
"She was with me." The girls glanced up, startled. THEY weren't supposed to be together!  
  
"What do you mean? BEFORE that plant-droid fight?" Mina asked cautiously. This was probably even more tender territory; Darien hadn't yet explained his sudden concern. Maybe something serious had happened. 'This is new, Serina hadn't mentioned-' Mina gasped. 'Serina didn't have TIME to mention it!'  
  
"This afternoon I was walking in the park before the storm hit. I was just leaving as it started to rain when I thought I heard someone near the rose corner. Serina came running out, crying and screaming, frightened of the thunder. She must have been too preoccupied to notice the rain or she would never have been caught out there. I guess she didn't see me, when I grabbed a hold of her she screamed again then she couldn't stop shaking until I sat her down at one of the bus stops. I- felt bad for her and tried to help but she refused to even look at me. Finally, she said that she was a terrible person and couldn't live up to the expectations everyone had of her. When I tried to deny that she just came up with more things that 'everyone' had agreed on and she pushed me away and accused me of agreeing with you guys. Then she got up and ran off." Darien still held onto Luna, petting her absentmindedly as if to calm himself. This wasn't looking good at all. Had he known, he never would have said anything to Serina.  
  
But he had still managed to crush her, after everything else that had happened, he didn't even realize the greater pain she was all ready in and he had only added to it. 'Real smooth, Darien. If you're lucky maybe she'll still LOOK at you let alone talk to you after all this.' His hopes of forgiveness quickly died with the realization. "That's when the droid attacked, I helped Sailor Moon until you showed up to fight. Once I saw you had it handled, I took off."  
  
"Gettin' good at that, aren't you?" Rei muttered under her breath. Lita, sitting closest, shot her a warning glare that was coupled with a hurt glance from Darien. Rei indifferently stared back at Lita, ignoring those dark blue eyes altogether. The rest of this story was a tragedy and it was her fault.  
  
"So we are all caught up to that point, correct?" Ami asked, ever the calm mediator. Now was the part of the story that should set off fireworks. "What happened between the Sailor Scouts and Sailor Moon after the fight was typical. We had shown up to battle the Dark Moon droid and managed to defeat it with Sailor Moon's last minute attack. Needless to say, we had taken a few hits and bruises, as did Sailor Moon, but she also had gotten herself captured. Rei-"  
  
Rei angrily interrupted, standing up with fire in her eyes. "Yeah, we all know what I did. It was my fault, all right, I admitted that!" She turned to Darien and Luna, as if daring them to deny her part in this. "I started yelling at Serina for getting caught and being late with her attack, and saying she never took control of the situation, always letting us fight for her. I told her we needed her to be a better leader. She got mad but I didn't think she was really THAT furious, I thought she could handle the criticism but then again, she NEVER could." Rei received another unanimous warning glare from each person, and cat, present. "She started saying how she could do just fine on her own without us but-"  
  
Darien interrupted with a cry, suddenly clutching his chest in pain, all logical thought screeching to a halt. It felt like his heart was being ripped in half! His other hand went to his head and he instantly realized that Serina was in trouble. His princess was in great pain. "Wait, WAIT! Something's wrong. Serina's in danger!"  
  
The girls had started at his unexpected actions but were on their feet and transforming at his warning. He sensed something else was wrong, there had been no warning headache that her Sailor Moon transformation normally caused. She was in civilian form! Had she been caught by surprise by the Dark Moon? Had there been an accident? Had she- She wouldn't have- NOT TO HERSELF! Serina wasn't suicidal, she would never- not even after a horrible day like this! She would never fall so deeply into despair, she had too much to live and hope for, even without him or her friends or her family . . . He would know, wouldn't he? He would feel her- Darien shook his head vehemently, hurling the traitorous thoughts from his mind. 'She would never. End of story.' She had probably just cut her finger while making lunch or stubbed her toe while running someplace. But the flash of pain had been near agonizing . . .  
  
The girls were transformed and running out the door, Darien revealed his red transformation rose and shifted into Tuxedo Mask and quickly followed. Outside, the girls waited for him; only he had the sense of direction that could lead them to Serina. Sailor Mercury had pulled out her palmtop computer and was trying to get a fix on her location. From the grimacing look on her face, it didn't seem to be working.  
  
Sailor Venus leaned over as Mercury whispered to her in a worried tone below Tuxedo Mask's hearing. "She doesn't have the crystal or a communicator to lock on to. I can't find her!"  
  
"Don't worry, Tuxedo Mask can always find her; that's why we keep him around." Venus lightly reassured the disturbed shorter scout. Sailor Mercury was supposed to be the most stoic of all five of them, she couldn't break down NOW! She touched her friend's shoulder as they took off following Tuxedo Mask's billowing black and red cape as he raced down the street. The vague tugging in his mind sent him in the direction of the park.  
  
Mercury continued to type furiously into her computer and a red dot appeared, beeping shrilly. "Oh no! Scouts! There is another Dark Moon droid attacking the far corner of Tokyo Park! We may have to dispatch it before we can search for Serina!"  
  
"Serina's in Tokyo Park-" Tux called back then took off, remembering that she wasn't Sailor Moon and the droid had probably caught her by surprise. What if she was unconscious and couldn't transform, what if she was being drained of all life even now, what if the Dark Moon kidnapped her and Rini, what if she were dying- Tuxedo Mask ran faster, afraid for the life of his love, disappearing far ahead of the sprinting Scouts. The girls shared a worried glance as they continued towards the park.  
  
"Oh please don't be there, Serina!" Sailor Jupiter whispered.  
  
__________________________  
  
Tuxedo Mask searched the park, his sense of Serina had faded, and he feared what that might mean but repeated flashes of agony assured him she was still alive. Eventually he was drawn to the sound of fighting. Roars and threats and a familiar voice screaming 'run' floated over the warm summer air. He took off in that direction, towards an older part of the park, forested and likely half forgotten by most citizens.  
  
Tuxedo Mask rushed to the sound of an outraged cry only to come upon the droid Sailor Mercury had warned about. Whoever his victim had been was long gone, perhaps hiding or had managed to get away, but was no where in sight. Neither was Serina or Rini. A cluster of forlorn colorful roses lying crushed on the ground caught his eyes a moment. 'Serina?' His sense of Serina was strongest here so she must be waiting for back up or perhaps the dragon creature had-  
  
"Foul Dark Moon creature, how dare you take on the form of the much revered and noble dragon! Tuxedo Mask will not forgive you but first; what have you done with Serina and Rini? Where's Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Mask leapt from his tree limb perch to the ground before an enormous green and red snake-like monster with enormous fanning wings.  
  
"That coward and the rabbit never showed up, Cape-boy! I was jussst after the kid but now I'll take care of you!" The dragon monster hurled fireballs at Tux and he expertly dodged. He looked around for the 'rabbit'. Rini must be close by, the girls said Serina was taking her somewhere- Here was likely but where WERE they?  
  
"Hey, nega-creep! Yeah, you, hot-head! We're the champions of justice, Sailor Mars!"  
  
"Sailor Venus!"  
  
"Sailor Mercury!"  
  
"And Sailor Jupiter! We know what you're up to and we won't let you kidnap our little friend Rini!" The four Sailors Scouts appeared behind Tuxedo Mask, also searching for their missing friends. The dragon looked at them and laughed again, aiming his fireballs at the girls in sailor suits.  
  
"Wanna play with fire do you? Well, you're about to get seriously burned! Mars Celestial Fire Surround!" Mars released her attack, her own fireballs dissipating the enemy's in a fiery explosion. Jupiter joined the fight with a ball of lightning pitched at the dragon, striking it's wing. The evil creature roared before taking aim again and spitting out fire.  
  
"Mercury Bubbles Blast!" The area misted over and the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask disappeared from sight.  
  
__________________________  
  
The faint sounds of the battle reached Serina's semi-conscious mind. She forced her tired eyes open, and slowly lifted her head. Her right cheek was tender and her left wrist hurt something terrible! She was lying face down in a ditch off the side of the paved road, out of sight of the five figures battling a dragon. 'What happened?' Serina's muddled head felt too foggy to concentrate. She gasped as she suddenly remembered the dragon droid's attack on her and Rini. Her eyes focused on the forested area around her, searching for any sign of the cherished little girl.  
  
'The shed!' Serina could see a curly lock of pink hair and a pointed rabbit ear bun as Rini peeked a single cinnamon eye out the door. 'Rini, stay put! Don't move, you'll get yourself caught!' Serina thought desperately, knowing the girl couldn't hear her warning. She glanced over at the fighting only to see Sailor Mercury veil the grounds in an opaque blue mist. Here was her chance! Serina ignored the shadowy, whispering forms and escaped to the gray wooden side of the gardening shed she could only make out as a vague dark gray mass. She crawled to the door that was open a crack, dismissing the pain in her shoulder, back, and chest, thinking only of keeping Rini safe.  
  
"Rini, get back! Go to the back of the shed and don't come out until the Scouts say it's safe, no matter what! Understand?" Serina heard a whimpering reply as the door creaked closed again. Serina dragged herself up against the door, leaning on it carefully because of her burned back, guarding it so that the Dark Moon would have to get through her to get to the child. She wasn't sure she could really STOP them if they tried but she WOULD fight until her last breath!  
  
Sighing in uncertain relief, Serina collapsed her weight against the door and passed out.  
  
__________________________  
  
Sailor Mercury's bubble fog began to clear, faint wisps still clinging to tree branches but they were becoming visible again. Mars threw her Celestial Fire attack at the dragon as soon as she could see again. Her fire was joined by Venus' chain-linked hearts but the droid managed to escape with only a glancing blow to it's side.  
  
"We need Sailor Moon! We can't finish this thing off without her scepter!" Jupiter cried as another one of her lightning bolts was deflected and she rolled away from a retaliating fireball.  
  
"She's somewhere in the area-" Mercury began. She ran off to the side of the path to get out of the way of the crossfire so she could concentrate. She began typing madly into her computer; it beeped softly as a pink arrow blinked on the screen pointing towards the shack in front of her. She studied the old building, and gasped. A crumpled figure sat in front of the door, no one had even noticed the girl yet. Then Mercury's heart froze as she recognized the outfit that Serina had been wearing earlier that day. With her head down and her twin meatball buns undone, Mercury would have never recognized her as Serina!  
  
'What's wrong with her? Why isn't she helping us? She's not even WATCHING us fight for our lives!' Mercury felt an unfamiliar surge of outrage as she glanced over Serina. How could she just sit there calmly and not raise a FINGER? Mercury's cold hands clenched and her face went white with rare anger as she raced to the side of the completely relaxed girl. She knelt before her 'princess' reaching out an icy hand to Serina's shoulder.  
  
It was then she noticed the blood, the scratches and bruises, the burns and tears in her clothes. Serina wasn't IGNORING the battle, she was unconscious!  
  
Mercury's feelings of hatred evaporated as she grazed her friend's good cheek with her finger, afraid of hurting her even more but needing her to awaken. She must have been fighting that creature, all alone and unprotected, long before they had arrived! Obviously, she hadn't won but if she was still alive, then she had at least held her own until they showed up. Late.  
  
Serina jumped beneath Mercury's attention, slowly blinking her aching eyes open and struggling to focus on the pale blue blur in front of her. "Mercury? Are you okay?"  
  
Sailor Mercury smiled softly, tears stinging her eyes. 'Why does she always have to be so concerned about us? Even after what happened, we're first in her thoughts.' "Serina, I know you're hurt but we need your help." She pleaded, hating herself. Serina probably couldn't even stand let alone help fight this creature!  
  
Serina's eyes started fluttering, glazed with pain as she began losing consciousness again. "I- I can't, Ami . . . Protect- Rini for me . . ." Serina drifted off again. Mercury softly apologized for not coming sooner. No ordinary girl could hope to survive what Serina had gone through, unprotected without her Sailor Moon transformation she was so VULNERABLE. Mercury glanced up, searching for the little girl Serina had been defending. She was no where in sight, which was good. She assumed the dragon droid's young target was hidden inside the old garden shed. Mercury jumped to her feet, with a last look at her fallen friend and leader, choking back her tears. 'We've failed you, princess . . . I'm so sorry.'  
  
Sailor Mercury resignedly returned to Sailor Mars' side. "Draw the fire away from that shed, Rini's in there!" Mars nodded understanding as she rushed to the creature's left side, taunting the thing with her circles of flame. Mercury followed, blasting the dragon from the side with her ice storm.  
  
"Who was the girl you were talking to? Is she okay?" Mars asked in a preoccupied but concerned tone, waving signals to Venus, Jupiter, and Tuxedo Mask, warning them to keep their attacks away from the small building.  
  
Sailor Mars saw the fleeting look that blanched her thoughtful friend's face before she answered. Mercury drew a deep breath. "That girl was Serina. She's hurt very badly. I don't know how long she's been fighting but she has been guarding Rini. She's unconscious now so she can't help us but we have to keep them safe!" Mercury pleaded, feeling horrified and desperate.  
  
Sailor Mars had a look of murder in her violet eyes as she assured her near-hysterical friend. "Don't worry, Mercury, that's our job. Now find a way to destroy that thing!" Mars broke away from Mercury, of whom with a more immediate mission, once again consulted her palmtop, studying the droid with her visor but her gaze strayed to Serina's body every now and again. She clicked off her visor and called to the others to each take a side.  
  
"Our only hope without Sailor Moon is to hit it with our most powerful attacks at the same time!" The five warriors quickly surrounded the Dark Moon droid without asking questions. The dragon flapped it's ruined wings nervously, glancing at each threat in turn as if it knew it couldn't defeat them now. At an unspoken countdown, each Scout and Tuxedo Mask released their attacks with a fury of worry, rage, and impatience.  
  
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"  
  
"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!"  
  
"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"  
  
"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!"  
  
"You'll pay for attacking innocents!" Tuxedo Mask shouted as he threw an overwhelming barrage of red, steel-tipped roses, combined with the other four scouts' powerful assaults. The dragon roared a last time before disintegrating to gray dust.  
  
In Sailor Moon's absence, Mars quietly murmured, "Hmph, Moon dusted."  
  
The girls turned back to the shed, hearing a faint moan and the slight, struggled creaking of the wooden door. "Serina!" They all cried, rushing to her side. Tuxedo Mask reached her first, dread a block of ice in his knotted stomach as he lifted her away from the door, careful of the terrible injuries her spied and Rini edged out.  
  
"Is it safe to come out-" Rini gulped when she saw Serina in Tux's arms. "Oh no! What've I done?" Rini fell to her knees by Serina and Tuxedo Mask. Serina was starting to come to, groaning, but apparently better able to hang on this time than she had the last time she was conscious.  
  
"I'm fine, Rini, it's not you're fault at all, sweetheart." Serina forced a weak smile and patted the concerned child's head. Rini nodded, disbelieving, and stepped away behind Mercury and Venus. "Please help me up." Tux looked like he was going to refuse, he knew she needed to rest above all else right now, but the demanding glare she gave him obliged him to swallow his protest. He stood, gently placing her on her feet. He held her as tightly as he dared, noticing that she winced when his hand brushed her back. She was a little unsteady on her feet but she let go of him, knowing in her mind that he still didn't love her and she shouldn't force him to care. Just then the two cats, Luna and Artemis, came running up.  
  
"Serina, are you okay?" Luna purred in concern.  
  
"Yeah, you look AWFUL!" Artemis added.  
  
"I'm fine, it's just my shoulder- and my back, and stomach, my head, and my wrist, but are YOU guys-" Serina caught herself in shock. Behind them, Rubeus, the dreaded red-head of the Dark Moon family, Catsy and her sisters' former master, had suddenly appeared out of thin air across from her and directly behind her oblivious friends!  
  
"You Sailor brats have ruined my attempts to capture the rabbit for the last time! Now die!" Rubeus lifted his arms and black marbles of pure evil energy began to multiply between his hands. His targets whirled in surprise, only Serina had seen him teleport here, she was the only one facing him and the first to get over her surprise and react. Serina pulled away from Tuxedo Mask's guarding arms, and stepped in between Rubeus and her friends. Tux's hands reached out to stop her, but he fell just short.  
  
"NO! I won't let you hurt them!" Serina threw her arms out protectively, hoping she could intercept most of his attack and keep her friends, Rini, and Darien safe.  
  
"No, Serina, DON'T!" Serina glanced over her shoulder with a grim smile of reassurance and threw herself into the path of the oncoming black energy. To the surprise of everyone, Serina made it through the blast, dispersing most of it without so much as a whimper, and kept running at the arrogant Dark Moon officer. Her surprise physical attack knocked the floating red-head from the sky, even as he shot another burst of black energy directly at her. Serina gasped and the shocked Rubeus recovered, throwing her off.  
  
As if watching from the back of her mind, Serina felt herself fall, the strength and adrenaline that had momentarily filled her with power at the threat to her friends' lives, and Rini's, drained away even as she collapsed to the ground. She felt so weak, too weak to even breathe. 'This is it, isn't it? I'm sorry, guys . . .' Rubeus attacked her again where she lay unconscious on the ground where she'd fallen. All ready weak and vulnerable from her earlier battle, Serina lost her last grip on consciousness and never felt the deathblow. 


	5. Release

_____________Part Five_____________ "Release"  
  
"Gotta say, I never thought you were much of a leader but I know I was wrong."  
  
"Stupid child! I know who you are, SAILOR MOON! Pity you couldn't fight me like a REAL warrior!" Rubeus glared in irritation and contempt at the unmoving body of the ordinary teenaged girl, satisfied. Now for the others.  
  
The Sailor Scouts began to regain consciousness, quickly recovering. Serina had shielded them from most of the energy but Tuxedo Mask and Mars, who had been standing closest to her, were still knocked away. Tux was just now starting to move. He flinched as if feeling the echoes of a deep pain. He could swear he heard a sorrowed whispering in his mind but his mind refused to understand the words.  
  
'At least he's okay.' Mars thought as she glanced up, looking for Rini. The little girl was on her knees, her Luna ball hovering above her shoulder. A horrified look was on her pale face as she stared at Rubeus. Mars searched the Dark Moon creep for what had scared her so badly- and froze.  
  
__________________________  
  
Rini slowly shook her head in disbelief. She'd watched the show in terrifying slow motion and it was just too much for her. It was too overwhelming, too similar to her own mother's sacrifice when she saved her from the Dark Moon's sleep spell in Crystal Tokyo. 'No, no, no, no! This is where it ends, THIS is the death of Sailor Moon! NO! SERINA!' She took off, running for Serina's crumpled form and into Rubeus' trap.  
  
__________________________  
  
"No! Rini!" Tuxedo Mask looked up in time to see the little girl run for Rubeus- no, her frightened gaze was centered on something else, below-  
  
Tuxedo Mask's eyes suddenly focused on the sight he had prayed he'd never ever see in real life. His heart was frozen by the icy grip of fear: Rubeus stood snickering over Serina's prone body; she wasn't moving, even breathing. Rini shrieked and tried to run to Serina's side, the recovered Scouts rushed to attack and Rubeus backed off before he could capture the 'rabbit'.  
  
Rini knelt crying over Serina, the Scouts blindly, madly fought their hardest to destroy Rubeus for what he'd done. Everything clicked into an appalling reality and Tuxedo Mask understood exactly what had happened, what she'd done. The shock of her death had yet to register physically in his mind. Their bond- he should be dead himself- any moment now, he could feel the silver thread in his mind beginning to fray and snap. She couldn't- it couldn't be, he couldn't live without her! He *wouldn't*! "NO! SERINA!" Tuxedo Mask threw himself into the battle and managed to land a physical blow coupled with a few razor-edged roses before Rubeus teleported away, hand pressed against his bleeding face.  
  
"I'll be back for the rabbit! At least I got one of you!" He screamed as he disappeared.  
  
The girls raced to their fallen princess's side, Darien unintentionally shifted back to his civilian self as he slid to his knees beside her. This wasn't the same situation it was five minutes ago, Serina had been breathing then, waking, making some faint sound! Now she was completely silent, unresponsive as Darien held her, kissed her hand, and wiped away the soil from her hair and face. It was so horribly REAL to hold Serina when she was still in her carefree day clothes, so beaten and haggard. If he had been there for her, if she had been able to transform she would have been able to withstand the attacks, she could have recovered but not as an ordinary human girl!  
  
It wasn't suppose to end this way, she was supposed to remain safe as long as he stayed away from her! It wasn't fair! She'd sacrificed herself for him and her friends, he should have been able to stop her! She had done it because she loved them, exactly what he'd tried to keep her from doing. He should have known nothing could stop her from caring! He couldn't stop her from loving her friends or Rini, but if she'd done it to save him, then he'd failed. He'd failed to save her and he could never forgive himself. For not protecting her, for hurting her all this time for no reason. Her pain and tears for nothing. None of it mattered now that he was losing her . . . His only love, the only hope and light in life gone . . .  
  
Cool, numbing emptiness slowly began to filter back into his soul where it had once resided before he'd first seen his angel. But the link, their soul bond was still there- he could feel her still with them. He couldn't lose her after everything they'd been through! The premonitions meant nothing!  
  
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a soft, wistful song playing, a song heard only by a specific prince of earth and moon princess in true love. The melody that was so a part of them, it would never die . . . __________________________  
  
"No matter what they do to us, we'll always have each other."  
  
Rini held one of Serina's pale hands, Luna softly butted her leg before giving in to tears on Artemis's shoulder. The girls stood watching over them, bursting into tears when Mercury shook her head after checking the fallen girl for breath or a pulse. They cried uncontrollably for their friend and princess they had all failed to protect. Again. Serina, their princess, their *best friend*! She'd been there for them, for everything and anything and yet they couldn't keep her from taking a single step in front of them to protect them from a fatal blast. It was never supposed to be like this, Serina was never supposed to come to this end! Her sunshine smiles, her pure, silvery laughter, her angelic compassion and understanding- all gone. Forever. They'd never hug her, or share stories, or hear her wail about trivial daily things, or watch her serene face glow in the light of the moon, her home. Never, ever again.  
  
All the girls could do was hold each other or fall to their knees in agony. The hurricane of thoughts colliding with their consciousness was too fast and furious. 'Never again.' No more fun, no more happiness. Each Scout gazed on while the earth prince tried in vain to revive her.  
  
Darien apologized for everything, for not being there, for not being able to tell her how much he loved her, begging for forgiveness. He whispered reassurances and promises into her fallen gold hair. "No, Serina, it's not supposed to be like this, you can't leave us! You can't leave ME. I'm sorry, I should have been there by your side, protecting you. Serina, please, PLEASE wake up." He whispered, but still she didn't move. Not looking away from his love, he coldly asked the weeping Scouts in an unwavering, clipped voice, "What happened? Why couldn't she transform?" If she had, he could have been here sooner, he would have had more warning before she'd even begun this battle! He could have found her faster, she would have had the strength to keep fighting!  
  
Unseen by him, the girls had downshifted to civilian form. Rei reached into her white blouse and pulled out Serina's brooch on a chain. Darien hadn't even noticed it missing. "This is why. She didn't have her crystal." Rei lifted the chain over head and revealed her hand where she held the brooch and the Silver Crystal. The key to Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity, and the one thing that could have saved her best friend's life.  
  
"Wh- why?" Was all he could get out. 'Why didn't she have the Silver Crystal?! That was the most important object in the universe, what gave his princess her powers, her LIFE! How did she not have it? How did Rei have it?  
  
The girls stared at Serina's relaxed face, her body lying limp in her prince's arms. But they remained silent. It still hurt too much, and it was far worse for Darien because they all knew he still loved Serina, they were bonded heart, mind, and soul. Rei's tear-choked voice finally answered him. "We didn't have time to tell you back at the temple but after the fight against the dead rose droid, me and Serina-"  
  
"All of us." Ami interrupted, nodding firmly that they all took the blame for the fight. Lita and Mina nodded in agreement.  
  
"We fought, ridiculing her for being late again. She said she could do just fine on her own and Rei said she couldn't stand a chance-" Mina broke off with a sob.  
  
Lita picked up the story, placing an arm over Mina's shuddering shoulders. "She said that if that was what we thought then she agreed with us and that she was just slowing us down. Then she gave up her Silver Crystal to Rei. We didn't even say anything to stop her. We didn't mean it! We didn't think she was SERIOUS!" Lita protested, her watery green eyes begging forgiveness from the silent figure in Darien's arms.  
  
"And now look what we've done! She was unprotected, she had no chance of defeating that monster!" Mina cried and fell to her knees sobbing. "It's all our fault!"  
  
Ami managed to control her grief, if only for her friends' sanity; someone had to hold them together and none of them looked up to it. She'd have time to mourn later. "What we must remember is her amazing courage, Scouts, she fought so hard and well to defend Rini and even after all that, she had the strength to save us as well from Rubeus's attack." Ami reminded. "Even after how we treated her, all she wanted was for all of us to be safe."  
  
Rini spoke up from Serina's side. The girls had forgotten her there, she was so quiet. Darien glanced at her, stung from his numbness by her tiny voice, as if suddenly remembering her beside him. She shouldn't have to go through this! She was just a kid! "She told me to run, when that monster was after us. She attacked it, and told me to run and hide, then it was all quiet, Darien, until the Scouts came. Serina told me to stay put and not come out until you said it was okay. But it's STILL not okay, Darien!" Rini cried. Mina wrapped her own trembling arms around Rini and the little girl cried on her shoulder, each one thinking Serina's death was all her fault. "I knew Sailor Moon would die, someday, but I hoped it wouldn't be for a long time, so I wouldn't see it. There is no Sailor Moon in the future, I knew I would lose Serina and couldn't stop it!"  
  
"WHAT!? Rini, you knew Serina would die? What Rubeus said was true? There really IS no Sailor Moon in the future?" Lita demanded, outraged. Rini nodded sadly, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. She was a coward and a traitor for not warning them. She was not a responsible princess for letting her dearest friend die protecting her. "Oh, no. We didn't know, we didn't pay attention! We didn't believe him! I hope Serina didn't know, she'd be so scared. Rini-"  
  
"I'm sorry you had to live with that knowledge, Rini. Especially after you found out Serina was Sailor Moon. That was why you were afraid of us, wasn't it? You didn't want to lose Serina but you couldn't tell anyone either." Ami's breath caught in a sob as Rini nodded again. Puu told her not to tell the future.  
  
Rini remembered the warm nights she'd spent cuddled in Serina's bed, the teasing, the nice talk over ice cream today, and all she'd told her about the roses. She regretted not telling Serina everything from the very beginning, and tormenting her, and driving her nuts. They were finally starting to get close! She wished she could hear her laughing again, see her smile or stick her tongue out, have her call her 'spore', or get a hug from the one person here she loved as much as her own mother. But never again . . .  
  
Lita murmured to herself, remembering the scene they'd walked in on. Serina had been bravely fighting, even without her crystal, as Serina Tsukino and not Sailor Moon. Lita felt pride for her princess and mistakenly fragile and small friend. Intense hatred towards the enemy that had caused her pain and their grief clouded her mind and seared like lightning in her spirit. "Rubeus attacked her even when she couldn't fight back! The cowardly slime! He'll pay for this! I swear it in the name of Jupiter!"  
  
Rei looked up from her own reverie, her eyes puffy and red, her pale face splotched from crying, and her black hair plastered to her face. Her breath came in short, hyperventilated gasps as she firmly agreed with her tall comrade. "I swear it by Mars that Rubeus will die! The Sailor Scouts will avenge Serina's death, we'll uphold our vows to protect love and justice even without Sailor Moon, just as she would have wanted! For her, we'll protect everyone and everything." Her violet eyes pierced Darien, daring him to deny their guilt or his own and their right for vengeance.  
  
Darien looked away, even more guilty for not being able to stop Serina when she foolishly attacked Rubeus. His blood ran hot with the need for retribution while his skin was frozen cold with the sight of his beloved asleep in his arms. 'We could have handled it, my sweet. All of us together.'  
  
He paused, then admitted chokingly, "I sensed something from her, faintly, at the temple. She was in trouble, hurt, but she never transformed, I didn't FEEL her transform or I might have known of the battle sooner, before she got hurt- I- I didn't know WHAT had happened when I felt her pain! There was no warning! I should have been faster, I should have felt the URGENCY . . . I should have sensed Rubeus behind us, or been quicker to stop her from attacking him! If we'd listened to Rubeus's warning, we would have known Serina was in danger- that she wouldn't live to see the future!" And now to pay for his lapse to protect his love, he could only hold her young body close to him, her translucent skin, bloodless lips, scraped and swollen cheek a testament to his failure.  
  
Her golden tresses cascaded across his arm and into a dull, lifeless pool, streaks of darkening red blood standing out like black rose in a white wedding bouquet. Something he'd seen in his nightmare. Her jean jacket was ripped apart and burned, her long blue skirt was torn ragged and shredded, and her arms and legs were covered in bruises, cuts, and red and black burns. She had never looked so lifeless and helpless and it was all his fault! He mournfully traced her soft jawline, brushing away errant strands of flaxen hair, his tears falling unheeded as kissed her cool forehead.  
  
Serina's pale figure sighed softly. Darien startled back, afraid he'd imagined the breathy sound against his cheek like when she'd fallen into an eternal sleep by the hypnotizing droid of Prisma and Avery's. Hope flickered through his soul as he felt again for her pulse and breathing- and found them.  
  
Serina moaned again and managed to grasp a thin wisp of consciousness through the hazy pain of her injuries and slowly opened her eyes, praying no one would touch her; it hurt too much. She hoped everyone was okay, she could never live with herself if she failed to protect her friends. 'Wasn't there concrete here the last time I was awake?' Serina paused a moment to let her eyes focus and let her body absorb the sensations of heat and tingling electricity through the cold numbness that was stealing her senses. She quickly realized Darien was holding her in his arms, strength and warmth flooding her mind along with his panic and regret. 'Why is he so worried? I'm fine . . .'  
  
Serina slowly glanced around; all the girls were there, Rini hugged Mina, Lita stood beside them, Rei and Ami knelt or stood on the other side of her and Darien. They were all sad and crying. But there was nothing wrong, nothing that mattered. "Are you guys all right? Is Rini okay? Darien, you weren't hurt, were you?" Serina flinched in alarm when she saw Darien's face; he looked like he was in AGONY; if she hadn't been able to protect him- she'd never forgive herself! But Darien just smiled at her concern for him when SHE was the one on the ground. When she looked in askance to the girls, they just nodded they were okay but their eyes were bloodshot and red, their expressions caught between grief and uncertain hope.  
  
"You got him, Serina. Rubeus high-tailed it after your surprise attack. We didn't know you had it in you." Lita said proudly but sadly as well. Serina vaguely wondered again why they were so somber. Lita was never like this- except when she nearly lost Ken.  
  
"Me? I doubt I could do it . . . ALONE . . ." Serina chided gently, smiling then she grimaced at the searing fire of her scratched right cheek. She sobered and glanced around for Rini and found her still crying in Mina's arms. "Rini, honey- are you . . . all right?" She asked, trying to catch her breath. The air didn't seem to want to stay in her weak lungs.  
  
Rini wriggled free of Mina's hold and squeezed Serina's hand and nodded, afraid to open her mouth at first lest she start wailing. In that, she was too much like her mother. She was only five, Mommy, Daddy, and Puu wouldn't want her to go through this! But she was also a princess; she had to be strong for Serina, and herself. She had to. "I'm sorry, Serina. I love you, you're my best friend, I wish could tell you everything." She whispered, close enough to Serina that her locks of pink hair tickled her face. Serina smiled carefully and squeezed her small hand.  
  
"Don't- worry about it, Small Lady. You'll get to tell me everything. You're such- a sweetheart, my daughter . . ." Serina whispered for only Rini to hear. Rini's shy smile suddenly fell from her face as she realized what Serina was saying. Daughter? Her mother? MAMA?! Oh no! What had she done!? It couldn't be, it just COULDN'T be! But- yes, Serina- no wonder she was so like her- No- she couldn't die, not now! She'd finally found her mama only to get her killed!  
  
She watched Serina's blue gaze return to her friends, oblivious to the hysterical panic she had placed her in. Rini just stared at her, slowly backing away, deaf to what was going on around her as she watched her mother slowly dying before her, saying her good-byes.  
  
"I'm sorry, my friends . . . for the fight- You know I- I would *never* . . . let anything hurt . . . you . . ." Serina was losing strength fast, she couldn't say much more, and she was beginning to drift off again. She was so TIRED, she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep. But she knew she couldn't die- Rini was her daughter- if she died, she would never be born. And THAT was impossible. Therefore, she wouldn't die. She couldn't.  
  
"It wasn't your fault at all, Serina! It was us, we just had a bad day and took it out on you. We're SO SORRY!" The girls cried in unison, each dropping beside her to clasp her hand or brush her shoulder in assurance. The faintest whisper of a smile ghosted Serina's lips in response. Her *forgiveness*.  
  
"Serina? Are you okay? Serina?" Darien noticed Serina's eyes closing, her pulse weakening. She was relaxing in his arms in a way only the dying could.  
  
"I'm sorry, love, I'm so tired . . . Darien . . ."  
  
"NO! Serina, don't fall asleep, HANG ON! Stay awake, Serina, listen to me, stay with to me!" He shook her, hugged her, anything to reawaken her. The pain of his insistent jostling sparked the last life in her.  
  
She inhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering open. "Darien . . . please tell me, *truthfully*- and I promise- I'll- I'll leave you alone if you want . . ." She took another gasping breath. Her sapphire eyes were filled with pain and trust and fear. "Do- do you love me?"  
  
"Serina, I don't want you to ever leave me alone, EVER! There's a reason for these past few weeks- I can't explain but-" Darien wasn't sure he could bring himself to say it, as if those three little words could seal her death. Darien watched his Serina's deep blue eyes searching his, losing their light of happiness. Her pale, cold fingers faintly wrapped around his hand, slowly loosening. Her beautiful gold hair tousled around her head like a halo, it's glory fading even as he watched. How could he crush her fragile spirit, especially now when she was most vulnerable? How could he lie to those eyes, not give her the reassurance she needed before she- before she- "Yes, Serina, I do, I love you more than life itself! I- love you . . . always . . ."  
  
Serina smiled a last time in grateful relief and raised a thin, trembling finger to trace a tear from her love's turbulent eyes. "I know. I love you, too, Darien . . . Take care of our daughter until I return." And she drifted off once more, her hand falling away from his face.  
  
Darien wasn't sure he'd heard her right. Their daughter? His heart skipped a beat as he heard Rini let out a pained cry beside him and throw herself across her mother, flickering, and he made the connection. 'Oh God, how did she know? Why didn't she tell me?' "No, Serina, it can't end this way, it's not supposed to! I swear I'll never leave you again! PLEASE stay with me . . ." Serina's eyes closed, silvery tears finally escaping as she lost the battle she fought for her family and friends. Her small hand in his fell limp. The girls fell to tears again. They hadn't heard what she told Rini and Darien but it was obviously important and between them. They knew her revival was too good to last. By Serina's side and crying the hardest, Rei reached over to Serina's empty, fallen hand and placed the Silver Crystal within her icy palm and closed her fingers over it.  
  
"This isn't fair, Serina! You can't give up on us! You can't abandon us! You're not supposed to be like US . . ." She silently apologized again for everything they had fought about, assuring her princess's spirit that their fights were not her fault at all but theirs. 'Mine especially.'  
  
"We love you, Serina." The girls agreed together. Rini fell back into Mina's arms, Ami rubbing her back comfortingly. "Our princess is gone . . ."  
  
"I love you, Serina, I can't live without you . . . I can't dream of a life without you in it, my sunshine and happiness. How am I supposed to go on without you?" Darien's voice cracked as his soul was ripped apart and left in emotionless tatters. He continued in an accepting whisper; faintly smiling at Serina's now calm and serene face, still smiling, even in death. "I love you, my angel, my beautiful princess." And he kissed her sweet lips, covering her hand with his, and holding her tightly, afraid to ever let her go.  
  
What girl can resist that? A brilliant white light emanated from the crystal hidden within their clasped hands and enveloped Serina and Darien's bodies, far too bright to look upon. When the geyser of energy faded into a myriad of reds, greens, golds, blues, and pinks, Darien was still kissing Serina. Except she was no longer Serina Tsukino- she was the Moon Princess Serenity! He hadn't even seemed to notice the magical eruption of light nor her transformation. He DID notice several moments later that Serenity was kissing him back. He pulled away in surprise and Sere's sparkling blue eyes slowly opened, grinning lovingly.  
  
"I guess someone still needs me here." She whispered in a wry tone, shifted back to Serina. Her princess form only helped to heal her. "Oh, I love you so much, Darien! I told you, you still loved me!"  
  
"I never stopped, my love." Lita, Rei, Ami, and Mina each screamed in frightened relief and attacked their princess with overjoyed hugs. Her fatal wounds had been healed by the magic in the Silver Crystal, her very life restored by her friends' love. She was able to stand their crowding- with a reinforcing kiss from her one true love.  
  
'Finally, something went right today! And all it took was my dying!' Serina smiled as she kissed Darien again, with all her might, and tousled Rini's hair. She smiled at each of her friends and swore she'd never put them through that kind of pain again. 'As long as they don't ever give me a hard time like they did. If they do then maybe I'll just drop dead again . . .'  
  
"Serina, I can't BELIEVE you did that to us! How stupid can you get? How insensitive and irresponsible! You know you have to be the Moon Princess and Sailor Moon: you have DUTIES! Responsibilities! Don't ever try to get out of it by dying again, Meatball head!"  
  
'Or maybe I'll just kill Rei . . .'  
  
"Oh, Mommy! I'm so happy you're okay!" Rini let loose a laugh of pure joy and attacked her future mother with a tackling hug. Around them, the Scouts and cats looked ready to pass out with shock.  
  
"WHAT!?!" They all cried. Serina gave them a quirky grin as she held her daughter and Darien close.  
  
"Um, meet Princess Serenity of Crystal Tokyo, the eldest daughter of Queen Serenity and King Endymion." She glanced down at Rini to make sure gotten it right.  
  
Rini shook her head in exaggerated impatience and corrected her. She stood on her own and shifted into her princess dress, much like the old moon princess's, and curtseyed to her guardians. "NEO-Princess Small Lady Serenity Usagi Shields of the Moon, Earth, Sun, and Crystal Tokyo, *eldest* daughter of NEO-Queen Serenity and King Endymion." She said smiling. Everyone but the royal family took their leave from consciousness, and dropped to the ground.  
  
"You've been keeping secrets, my love." Darien teased, lifting Serina easily in his arms. THIS was more than unexpected but he could handle it. He could handle anything that promised he and Serina would remain together forever- and a FAMILY! Finally one of his own, with the one woman he loved more than life, and the little girl he'd give his life for even before he'd known her true identity.  
  
Rini's dress faded to her normal clothes and she clung to Darien's leg as they left the park together, listening to her parents. "Just found out, my prince. There are going to be many surprises ahead of us-"  
  
"Can I tell Daddy about Irene and Travis, Mommy?"  
  
"Travis? Irene?" Darien raised an eyebrow in interest. The woman in his arms blushed and hid her modest smile behind her hand. 'Tranquillity, after my- BROTHER?- and Imbrium. My twin daughters, Serenity and Imbrium. That's what I WOULD name them.'  
  
"Neo-Prince Tranquillity is Rini's baby brother Travis and Neo- Princess Imbrium is Rini's twin, Irene-" She laughed, trying to break the news gently. Her smile widened when she saw his incredulous, astonished, OVERJOYED blue eyes. 'Surprise!'  
  
"TWINS!?"  
  
_____________The End_____________  
  
"With all our love, we can't go wrong." 


End file.
